The Garden Grove City Council has unanimously approved an ordinance mandating the provision of personal safety devices, commonly known as panic buttons, for hotel workers. The decision, made on September 8 following an initial approval in late August, aims to enhance employee safety from potentially unruly guests. These new standards for hotel safety will become effective on January 1, 2027.
Under the new mandate, hoteliers in Garden Grove will be required to provide these personal safety devices to every employee assigned to a guestroom on their own. Should an employee feel threatened, pressing a button on the device will notify on-site responders of the incident. In addition to the devices, the ordinance stipulates that workers can request reassignment away from a guest's room following an incident. Hotel employers are also obligated to train staff on the proper use of these devices, inform employees of their rights through both training sessions and posted notices, and are prohibited from retaliating against workers who exercise these rights.
A significant aspect of the approved ordinance includes a provision for paid time off following an incident. Employees will be granted up to eight hours of paid leave to report an incident to law enforcement and to consult legal counsel. This provision saw an amendment during the council's deliberations. Councilmember Ariana Arestegui questioned city staff about the written provisions for paid time off, noting that a previous version of the ordinance capped this paid time off at three hours. Arestegui expressed concern that interactions with law enforcement and follow-up care after an incident would require more time. Councilmember George Brietigam supported the increase to eight hours, emphasizing that in a severe incident, three hours would be insufficient for medical attention or police reporting.
Garden Grove's new ordinance aligns with similar measures already in place in other Orange County cities. Anaheim and Irvine currently require panic buttons for hotel staff, particularly for those working alone in guestrooms. Greg Blodgett, Deputy Director of Garden Grove's Economic Development Department, indicated that the city's ordinance draws inspiration from Anaheim’s regulations. During an August 25 presentation, Blodgett stated that Garden Grove and Anaheim operate within the same market and workplace, and the city aimed to be on a level field with Anaheim's similar ordinance. Irvine, which passed a similar law in 2022, was the first Orange County city to enforce these standards. Its original ordinance also included a provision for doubled pay for workers assigned heavier workloads, a measure that Irvine city officials later voted 3-2 to repeal in November 2024, with Councilmembers Kathleen Treseder and former Councilmember Tammy Kim opposing the repeal.
While the hotel workers’ union Unite Here Local 11 shared concerns regarding the paid time off provisions with Councilmembers Arestegui and Brietigam, representatives expressed reservations about the final draft of Garden Grove’s ordinance. According to Maria Hernandez, Press Secretary for Unite Here Local 11, several sections from an initial version of the ordinance were either removed or altered by the city council. Omitted provisions included a clause for doubled pay if employers assigned excess rooms during an employee’s shift, requirements for panic button training for on-site responders, and an increased daily penalty for hotels found in violation of the ordinance. Matthew Richard, a spokesman for Unite Here Local 11, commented at the August meeting that the proposed law contained a "significant" gap. He also characterized the measure as a weaker ordinance that had been rushed through. Union member Marco Alcala also claimed that during the drafting process, Garden Grove City Council representatives did not collaborate with Unite Here Local 11, stating that staff proceeded without consulting workers.
Although some Garden Grove hotels currently provide panic buttons, the newly approved ordinance establishes a city-wide mandate, ensuring these devices are a required safety standard for all hotels within the city, which is situated near the Anaheim Resort area.
