101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB2544

 

Introduced , by Rep. Sonya M. Harper

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act
775 ILCS 5/6-102

    Creates the Hotel Employee Safety Act. Provides that each hotel shall equip an employee who is assigned to work in a guest room or restroom, under circumstances where no other employee is present in the room, with a panic button or notification device. Provides that the employee may use the panic button or notification device to summon help if the employee reasonably believes that an ongoing crime, sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other emergency is occurring in the employee's presence. Provides that the panic button or notification device shall be provided by the hotel at no cost to the employee. Provides that each hotel shall develop, maintain, and comply with a written anti-sexual harassment policy containing specified content to protect employees against sexual assault and sexual harassment by guests. Provides that each hotel shall provide all employees with a current copy in English, Spanish, and Polish of the hotel's anti-sexual harassment policy, and post the policy in English, Spanish, and Polish in conspicuous places in areas of the hotel where employees can reasonably be expected to see it. Provides that it is a violation of the Act for a hotel to retaliate against an employee for reasonably using a panic button or notification device; availing himself or herself of certain anti-sexual harassment policy provisions; or disclosing, reporting, or testifying about any violation of the Act or any rule adopted under the Act. Provides that a complaint alleging a violation shall be filed by the aggrieved party with the Department of Human Rights no later than 180 days after the occurrence of the alleged violation and in accordance with rules adopted by the Department. Provides that investigations to enforce specified provisions of the Act shall be conducted by the Department. Provides that a hotel that violates the Act or any rule adopted under the Act shall be subject to a fine of not less than $250 and not more than $500 for each offense. Makes a corresponding change in the Illinois Human Rights Act.


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A BILL FOR

 

HB2544LRB101 04938 TAE 49947 b

1    AN ACT concerning employment.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Hotel
5Employee Safety Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
7    "Complaining employee" means an employee who has alleged an
8instance of sexual assault and sexual harassment by a guest.
9    "Department" means the Department of Human Rights.
10    "Employee" means any natural person who works full time or
11part time at a hotel for or under the direction of the hotel or
12any subcontractor of the hotel for wages or salary or
13remuneration of any type under a contract or subcontract of
14employment, whether express or implied.
15    "Guest" means any invitee to a hotel, including a
16registered guest, person occupying a guest room with a
17registered guest, visitor invited to a guest room by a
18registered guest or other occupant of a guest room, person
19patronizing food or beverage facilities provided by the hotel,
20or any other person whose presence at the hotel is permitted by
21the hotel. "Guest" does not include an employee.
22    "Guest room" means any room made available by a hotel for
23overnight occupancy by guests.

 

 

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1    "Hotel" means any building or buildings maintained,
2advertised, and held out to the public to be a place where
3lodging is offered for consideration to travelers and guests.
4"Hotel" includes an inn, motel, tourist home or court, and
5lodging house.
6    "Notification device" or "panic button" means a portable
7emergency contact device that is designed so that an employee
8can quickly and easily activate the button or device to
9effectively summon to the employee's location prompt
10assistance by a hotel security officer, manager, or other
11appropriate hotel staff member designated by the hotel.
12    "Offending guest" means a guest a complaining employee has
13alleged sexually assaulted and sexually harassed the
14complaining employee.
15    "Restroom" means any room equipped with toilets.
16    "Sexual harassment" means any unwelcome sexual advance,
17request for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct
18of a sexual nature.
 
19    Section 10. Hotels; panic buttons; anti-sexual harassment
20policies.
21    (a) Each hotel shall equip an employee who is assigned to
22work in a guest room or restroom, under circumstances where no
23other employee is present in the room, with a panic button or
24notification device. The employee may use the panic button or
25notification device to summon help if the employee reasonably

 

 

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1believes that an ongoing crime, sexual harassment, sexual
2assault, or other emergency is occurring in the employee's
3presence. The panic button or notification device shall be
4provided by the hotel at no cost to the employee.
5    (b) Each hotel shall develop, maintain, and comply with a
6written anti-sexual harassment policy to protect employees
7against sexual assault and sexual harassment by guests. This
8policy shall:
9        (1) encourage an employee to immediately report to the
10    hotel any instance of alleged sexual assault and sexual
11    harassment by a guest;
12        (2) describe the procedures that the complaining
13    employee and hotel shall follow in cases under paragraph
14    (1);
15        (3) instruct the complaining employee to cease work and
16    to leave the immediate area where danger is perceived until
17    hotel security personnel or police arrive to provide
18    assistance;
19        (4) offer temporary work assignments to the
20    complaining employee during the duration of the offending
21    guest's stay at the hotel, this may include assigning the
22    complaining employee to work on a different floor or at a
23    different station or work area away from the offending
24    guest;
25        (5) provide the complaining employee with necessary
26    paid time off to:

 

 

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1            (A) sign a police complaint against the offending
2        guest; and
3            (B) testify as a witness at any legal proceeding
4        that may ensue as a result of the complaint, if the
5        complaining employee is still in the hotel's employ at
6        the time the legal proceeding occurs;
7        (6) inform the complaining employee that the Illinois
8    Human Rights Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of
9    1964 provide additional protections against sexual
10    harassment in the workplace; and
11        (7) inform the complaining employee that Section 15
12    makes it illegal for an employer to retaliate against any
13    employee who: reasonably uses a panic button or
14    notification device; in good faith avails himself or
15    herself of the requirements set forth in paragraph (3),
16    (4), or (5); or discloses, reports, or testifies about any
17    violation of this Act or rules adopted under this Act.
18    Each hotel shall provide all employees with a current copy
19in English, Spanish, and Polish of the hotel's anti-sexual
20harassment policy, and post the policy in English, Spanish, and
21Polish in conspicuous places in areas of the hotel, such as
22supply rooms or employee lunch rooms, where employees can
23reasonably be expected to see it.
 
24    Section 15. Retaliation prohibited. It is unlawful for a
25hotel to retaliate against an employee for:

 

 

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1        (1) reasonably using a panic button or notification
2    device;
3        (2) availing himself or herself of the provisions of
4    paragraph (3), (4), or (5) of subsection (b) of Section 10;
5    or
6        (3) disclosing, reporting, or testifying about any
7    violation of this Act or any rule adopted under this Act.
8    Any complaint alleging a violation of this Section shall be
9filed by the aggrieved party with the Department no later than
10180 days after the occurrence of the alleged violation and in
11accordance with rules adopted by the Department.
 
12    Section 20. Investigations. Investigations to enforce the
13provisions of Sections 10 and 15 shall be conducted by the
14Department.
 
15    Section 25. Penalties. A hotel that violates this Act or
16any rule adopted under this Act shall be subject to a fine of
17not less than $250 and not more than $500 for each offense.
18Each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate
19offense.
 
20    Section 90. The Illinois Human Rights Act is amended by
21changing Section 6-102 as follows:
 
22    (775 ILCS 5/6-102)

 

 

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1    Sec. 6-102. Violations of other Acts. A person who violates
2the Section 11-117-12.2 of the Illinois Municipal Code, Section
3224.05 of the Illinois Insurance Code, Section 8-201.5 of the
4Public Utilities Act, Sections 2-1401.1, 9-107.10, 9-107.11,
5and 15-1501.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure, Section 4.05 of
6the Interest Act, the Military Personnel Cellular Phone
7Contract Termination Act, Section 405-272 of the Civil
8Administrative Code of Illinois, Section 10-63 of the Illinois
9Administrative Procedure Act, Sections 30.25 and 30.30 of the
10Military Code of Illinois, Section 16 of the Landlord and
11Tenant Act, Section 26.5 of the Retail Installment Sales Act,
12or Section 37 of the Motor Vehicle Leasing Act, or Section 15
13of the Hotel Employee Safety Act commits a civil rights
14violation within the meaning of this Act.
15(Source: P.A. 100-1101, eff. 1-1-19.)