What to Know
- By next year, hotel staff in Miami Beach will be equipped with "panic buttons" to swiftly report incidents in the workplace.
- City commissioners unanimously passed this ordinance on Wednesday.
- The measure will take effect August 2019.
The city of Miami Beach will soon equip hotel housekeepers and staff with safety buttons, providing them with the capability to swiftly report inappropriate incidents in the workplace.
The city commission on Wednesday voted unanimously on this ordinance, citing the #MeToo movement and how low-wage workers, mostly immigrant women, are among the most vulnerable to sexual assault in the workplace.
"The statistics are beyond concerning, and it's why I pushed for this necessary action to be undertaken by the City," commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez said in a news release.
Hotels and hostels will be required to offer a portable emergency device to their staff at no cost to the employee and should display a sign disclosing the new measure on the inside of each guest room door.
The ordinance will take effect August 2019.
