Hotel & Motel Management - July 21, 2008 - (Page 8)

8 Legal FAQ H&MM July 21, 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition Safety ﬁrst with swimming pool rules, new gun laws IN THE details Preserve safety at hotel Swimming pool safety list New state gun laws Watch legislatures’ actions By HospitalityLawyer.com H&MM Contributor What are some recommendations for reducing liability surrounding swimming pools? Q Pass all local inspections. Train the individual who is maintaining the pool. Supply a trained lifeguard whenever the pool is open. If no lifeguard is supplied, post a sign stating so. Mark the depths of pools accurately. Do not allow guests to dive into the pool. Remove diving boards, post warning signs and write on the ﬂoor area surrounding the pool. Clearly identify the deep end of the pool. Use ropes, and keep them in place. Fence off the pool area, even if it is inside the building. Install self-closing and self-latch- ing and/or locking gate doors. Make sure the pool area, and the pool itself, is well lit. You should be able to see the drain(s) at the bottom of the pool while standing anywhere on the perimeter. And make sure all electrical components are inspected regularly and maintained to meet local electrical codes. Provide a pool telephone with emergency access. Prohibit glass near the pool. If the pool is outdoors, monitor the weather and close the pool during inclement weather. Prohibit pool use by non-guests. Strictly prohibit all roughhousing. Restrict use of the pool by young children, people who are intoxicated and those who would put the pool over its occupancy limits. Have lifesaving equipment on hand and easily accessible. Install slip-resistant material on the ﬂoor areas around the pool. Post warning signs in the languages of your customers. Do not allow the pool area to be opened unless at least one property employee who has been trained in ﬁrst aid is on duty. Document all of your poolcare efforts. Make sure your insurance policy speciﬁcally includes coverage for your pool. The preference today is to have a multiple-drain system. Be sure to work with your pool maintenance company to eliminate potential injuries that can occur when the drain covers are accidentally sealed. Special thanks to Stephen Barth (sbarth@hospitalitylawyer.com), founder of HospitalityLawyer.com and the Hospitality Law Conference series and professor at the Conrad N. Hilton College at the University of Houston. QSeveral state legislatures recently have passed new gun laws that affect the way hotel and restaurant owners and operators run their businesses. The laws come in two varieties: 1) those What are some implications of new gun laws? A that expand the areas in which individuals who are licensed to carry concealed weapons may lawfully carry them, and 2) those that restrict an employer’s property right to issue policies prohibiting employees from storing guns in the employer’s parking lot. The ﬁrst category is of special interest to hotel and restaurant owners because the laws give holders of ﬁrearm licenses the right to enter restaurants and bars with a concealed weapon. Some states only allow gun carriers to patronize restaurants (i.e., food-serving establishments that derive less than 50 percent of their revenue from alcohol), while others permit armed individuals to patronize bars. Within these schemes, some states also prohibit the consumption of alcohol by those who are carrying weapons. The second category of new laws is of interest to all employers because these laws aim to restrict employers from applying policies that prohibit employees and patrons from storing weapons in their vehicles in the em- ployer’s parking lot. Some states allow employers to maintain some degree of control over their parking lots, while others more strictly prevent property owners from prohibiting patrons and employees from storing weapons in their cars. Restaurant and retail associations, as well as chambers of commerce, have challenged some of these new laws with some success. Such laws have been passed in at least eight states (Ark., Fla., Ga., Kan., Ky., Minn., Miss., Okla.) and more are considering them. The National Riﬂe Association has set a goal to pass such laws nationwide, so owners and operators should be vigilant in monitoring their state legislatures. Owners and operators also must review their service and employment policies for compliance with state law with an eye toward preserving the safety of employees and patrons. Special thanks to Brian Herman (bherman@laborlawyers.com), attorney with Fisher & Phillips LLP for the above information on gun laws. This information provided is general and educational and not legal advice. For additional information, please visit www.hospitalitylawyer.com. Training Trends Company culture strategies can help improve retention IN THE details Develop a workplace culture Give employees recognition Effectively communicate Improve orientation quality By Josh Davies H&MM Columnist f your company has been having trouble holding onto managers and hourly employees, you’re not alone. And, recruiting new employees is about to get a lot hard- I er. Over the next 10 years, the employment needs of the hospitality industry are expected to rise by more than 15 percent, while the U.S. population will increase by only 10 percent. We won’t be the only ones vying for talent—the employment needs of the health care and education ﬁelds will grow nearly twice as much. Obviously, it’s in our interest to keep the employees we already have. How do we do it? Contrary to conventional wisdom, the road to retention is not paved with higher pay and more beneﬁts. And “more training” isn’t necessarily the answer either. According to the American Society for Training and Development, the percentage of profit that U.S. companies spend on training has increased from ees, 2) fairness at work (including pay) and 3) the feeling of accomplishment. In other words, your company’s culture Contrary to conventional wisdom, the road to retention is not paved with higher pay and more beneﬁts. And “more training” isn’t necessarily the answer either. 6.5 percent in 2003 to 10.4 percent in 2006—but hospitality turnover has increased during that same period. Numerous surveys tell us that employee loyalty actually is driven by three things: 1) care and concern for employhas a much bigger impact on retention than what you pay or how much you train. How do you create that culture? These practical strategies can help you do just that. Show attention. Give associates daily recognition for their accomplishments, and when possible, involve them in setting policies in the restaurants. At Morton’s Steakhouse, for instance, the president travels to every restaurant, every quarter, to collect feedback directly from employees—without the managers in the room. As a result, this company’s hourly turnover is an industrylow: 30 percent (and Morton’s now sells French fries, based on employee suggestions). Break convention. Instead of measuring turnover, measure retention. Make it your goal to keep people, not just avoid losing them, and watch your entire culture change. See Company culture | page 14 http://HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://HospitalityLawyer.com http://HospitalityLawyer.com http://HospitalityLawyer.com http://www.hospitalitylawyer.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - July 21, 2008

Contents Larkspur Hotels Branch Out with New Brand Starwood’s C.E.O. Maps Out Journey New Brand Leaders Share Hits, Misses Perspective Letters to the Editor Legal FAQ Training Trends Sales Clinic HotelWorld Update Trends & Stats Special Report: 2008 Construction Companies Survey Guest Column Events Technology: Telephones Hotel Operations: Building Exterior Design: Televisions Transactions Awards Hot Products: Mattresses Supplier News Ad/Edit Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out Hotel & Motel Management - July 21, 2008

Hotel & Motel Management - July 21, 2008

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