SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — All 80 hotels in the city of Sacramento will soon be required to provide “panic buttons” to protect workers from sexual assault and harassment after the City Council voted to approve the measure.
The vote Tuesday comes after the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved a similar measure that did not include hotels in city limits, the Sacramento Bee reported.
All hotels will be required to give housekeepers buttons at no cost to the employees by July 14.
Workers will be able to press the buttons if they are about to witness sexual harassment. The buttons send a signal to on-site staff to intervene immediately.
Some hotels in the city already have panic buttons, according to Councilman Eric Guerra, who has been working to pass the ordinance. But many do not.
“This ordinance ensures a safe working environment for our hotel employees while providing a welcoming experience for Sacramento visitors,” Guerra said in a news release.
