New Jersey mandates panic buttons for hotel workers
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed off on a bill which requires most hotels to supply wearable panic buttons for housekeeping employees.
The law, which NJ calls the first of its kind, is effective from January and mandates the panic buttons at hotels with 100 or more rooms.
The governor was flanked by housekeepers from each of the nine Atlantic City casinos.
The hotel workers and union officials present described their experiences of being physically and verbally harassed in the course of their daily work.
"Today the lawmakers in New Jersey stood up with my co-workers and I to say no more to guests exposing themselves to us, soliciting us for sex, and allowing us to be unsafe as we open the door to a guest room, with no idea what is waiting for us behind it," said Iris Sanchez, a housekeeper at Caesars.
Union chief Bob McDevitt said: "Our country has been preoccupied with millionaire entertainers being sexually harassed by billionaire owners, but what is being lost in all this are the working women who are far more likely to face this kind of behavior at their jobs."
Similar legislation has been drafted in Illinois, Florida and Washington state and hotel chains such as Marriot and Hilton have vowed to arm some workers with panic buttons in jurisdictions where they are not mandated by law.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11