On August 27th, 2019, Allbridge presented a webinar in conjunction with TraknProtect to review new staff safety regulations going into effect across the United States. The regulations themselves vary across different jurisdictional areas and hotel brands, but the core requirement is that hotels must provide safety buttons to their in-room service employees. The buttons are to be utilized when the employee is presented with a situation where they feel unsafe.
When we talk about residents of senior living in 2019, we’re referring to members of the baby boomer and Gen X generations. Baby boomers are much more technologically adept than their counterparts from a few decades ago. In fact, a recent Pew study found that 40 percent of seniors now own smartphones. More specifically, 59 percent of 65- to 69-year-olds and 49 percent of 70- to 74-year-olds are smartphone owners.
Are you happy with your Hospitality property’s voice solution? Or have you considered the benefits of upgrading to a new system?
Innovation is happening all around us. From artificial intelligence (AI) to 3-D printing, countless breakthroughs have changed the way we live — improving efficiency in our daily routines and also in the workplace. Many industries have embraced these technologies, but what does innovation look like for the senior living industry?
Hospitality general managers work to create an environment that is safe for both guests and employees. Unfortunately, sexual harassment of employees has been a significant problem in hotel properties.
According to an analysis by the Center for American Progress, more than 25 percent of sexual harassment charges filed from 2005 to 2015 were from workers in service-focused industries. Of more than 41,000 charges reviewed, 14.2 percent of charges were filed from accommodation or food service workers.
Hotels in New Jersey with 100+ rooms are now required by law to provide staff alert devices to their employees before the end of 2019. This is according to New Jersey Senate Bill 2986, which Governor Phil Murphy signed into law on June 11th, 2019. The bill itself goes into detail regarding the reasoning behind it:
“Due to the unique nature of hotel work, hotel employees are particularly vulnerable to unsafe working conditions because they often work alone in hotel guest rooms, which sometimes may be occupied. This solitary work places them at risk of assault, including sexual assault, and sexual harassment. However, some hotel employers have not adequately addressed the safety concerns of hotel employees.”
The baby boomer generation is changing the way senior living properties operate. Not only are these individuals more independent and tech-savvy then their historical counterparts, but they’re also living longer. According to the Social Security Administration, a man who turns 65 today will live to be 84 on average, and a woman who turns 65 today will live to be 86.5.
Guest needs are not the only priority for property managers and owners; maintaining a safe environment for staff is another critical challenge to address. Industry-wide mandates ensure that hospitality properties of all sizes remain focused on developing a safe environment for all staff.
Over the past 5-10 years, Millennials (individuals born between 1980 and 1995) have been the primary target for hotels and student housing communities alike. Many hotel chains have launched minimalist brands to appeal to this population, and student housing developers have tailored their design concepts to be Millennial-focused with minimalist, modern features, co-working spaces, and open-concept lounges.
HITEC Minneapolis, the world's oldest and largest Hospitality technology show, wrapped up last week after several days of essential education from industry experts and access to new, innovative products from top vendors. With everything from voice-enabled devices to robots, there was a variety of new solutions available for the market; however, one of the most popular products was a simple device developed to support employee safety from TraknProtect, a provider of real-time location technology.