Primary source of information Introducing the Lodging Excellence Handbook

By Andy McVicar

Now lodging properties have a guide to Washington State laws & regulations

impact the restaurant industry. And while it is mostly focused on restaurants as it was conceived back in the Washington Restaurant Association days, there are many sections that apply to all hospitality businesses.

However, there are many federal, state and local laws and regulations that impact lodging properties that are not included in the HERO. We’ve taken steps to close that resource gap.

Last year, the association applied for a contract with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) Small Business Division to produce a new handbook specifically tailored to lodging operators. Think of it as a HERO for lodging properties. We’re calling it the Lodging Excellence Handbook: A Guide to Washington State Laws & Regulations for Lodging Properties.

The main objective of this initial version of the Lodging Excellence Handbook is to inform current and prospective lodging operators about various laws and rules over which L&I has oversight authority. This oversight mainly falls into two categories: employee rights and employee safety.

Some lodging operators have a small business background and assume they have a thorough understanding of state laws and regulations. Or some operators from other states open a lodging property in Washington and assume (incorrectly) the laws and rules in their state are the same as the ones here. Not fully understanding Washington’s unique labor laws and regulations can lead to costly fines from L&I.

The Lodging Excellence Handbook is intended to get you started on the right path to understanding Washington state laws and regulations on employee rights and employee safety and to assist

• Minimum wage & overtime

• Isolated workers

• Accident Prevention Plans

• Bloodborne pathogens

• Paid Family & Medical Leave

• Tips, tip pooling & services charges

• Youth employment

• Ladder safety

• And much more!

The Lodging Excellence Handbook is available in print and online at wahospitality.org/toolkits/lodging-excellence-handbook. As you might imagine, the amount of information that’s available on these topics could be published in volumes. The Lodging Excellence Handbook is designed to get you started in the right direction. The print version has convenient QR codes that link to additional resources for each topic. The online version has direct links to each of those resources.

And as a bonus, our partnership with L&I provided an opportunity to create a Spanish-language version, which can also be downloaded at wahospitality.org/toolkits/lodging-excellence-handbook/Spanish.

We hope you find this new resource helpful. If you have any suggestions, feedback, questions or comments about the Lodging Excellence Handbook, please send them to infoteam@wahospitality. org.

One final note: As always when we publish guidance like the Lodging Excellence Handbook, please remember that it is not legal advice. The content within the Lodging Excellence Handbook is guidance to get you started and to use as a quick resource as specific questions come up within your property. Please consult with your attorney to obtain legal advice. ■