The 2020 pandemic hit a lot of industries hard. One of the worst hits was hotels and motels. Over 1 billion rooms went unsold for the year, the worst year in hospitality history. Hotels were just unnecessary for a nation that was stuck at home.

This year, travel is making an uptick thanks to the COVID-19 vaccine. With more people traveling, hotels and motels are going to see an increase in business, but it is currently difficult to find employees to work in the hotels. The more work, the more strain on hotel employees. It’s at this critical time that we need to help our clients out in the hospitality sector. But what can you do to help?

Save the Earth, Save Housekeeping

To assist hotels with their workers’ compensation needs, we need to look at the most accident-prone areas. The most significant task for hotels and motels to see accidents is, hands-down, housekeeping. From making beds, cleaning floors and doing laundry, there are a lot of stressors. And with COVID-19 blazing the spotlight on cleanliness, even more of a burden is hoisted onto housekeepers.

What can we do to help prevent workers’ compensation claims for housekeepers? Start an eco-friendly program. For example, suggesting a “go green” initiative would encourage hotel guests to reuse their towels. Doing so would lessen the burden on housekeepers to do as much laundry. Laundry baskets can get pretty heavy. For more environmental tips for hotels, check out this list of eco-friendly tips.

Perform Drills

Hotel staff may be in a frenzy to keep up with the sudden demand of vacations, vacations and more vacations. Stop! Let them relax and educate them before occupancy ramps up. Lay out schedules and standard operating procedures, and track efficiency to help find time savers. Perform fire drills to ensure employees know procedures and can perform them safely.

Encourage Breaks

Housekeepers need a lot of stamina to perform their tasks. According to ZipRecruiter, a housekeeper could clean up to 10 to 15 rooms per shift. That’s a lot of work! Breaks are essential in any job, but especially in this one. Providing more breaks allows for staff to catch a breath and offer a positive work environment.

Look Out For Hazards

If you see a spill, do something about it! Educate your clients on the importance of accident prevention. If there is a spill or leak, employees should mark it with safety cones, either clean it up or contact someone who can.

Knowledge is Power

All of our suggestions boil down to one thing: education. Every day is a learning experience, but the hotel industry needs to tackle each step thoroughly and in a way that each employee can understand. And while these might be overwhelming at first, you will be glad to address these safety issues sooner rather than later.

The hotel and motel industry is struggling right now, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. And before your clients get blinded by it, prepare them for the dangers lurking around every corner, no matter how small. But if an accident does occur, you will be there to provide them with the fair and caring workers’ compensation support your client and their employees deserve! It’s what we do at Normandy Insurance. If you want to know more about us and/or join our team, check out this page: www.normandyins.com/learn-more

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