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Christian Science Monitor:

New York

Every hotel counts on its housekeeping staff.

They strip the sheets after a guest leaves, clean the tub and toilet daily, vacuum the room, and then get to do it all over - again and again - for anywhere from $12 to $15 per hour.

Now, in the wake of the allegations that Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the head of the IMF, sexually assaulted a housekeeper at the Sofitel Hotel, there is a new focus on these essential employees.

How safe are they? Do hotels report attacks on their staff or try to cover up the bad publicity?

Lawyers and experts involved with the hospitality industry say sexual harassment is taken seriously. One of the main reasons: If the hotel staff does not feel safe, they are not likely to be happy - no matter how much they get paid. Luxury hotels especially do not want the reputation of being unsafe or condoning attacks on their staff. And most hotels are not afraid to tell guests who are involved in inappropriate behavior to pack their bags and leave.

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Most hotels have some kind of sexual harassment training, says Celeste Yeager, who is vice chair of the Hospitality Team at the Dallas law firm, Gardere Wynne Sewell.

Gardere Hospitality Attorney Celeste Yeager in The Christian Science Monitor

"It's not just sexual harassment by co-workers, but it can be for vendors or guests," says Ms. Yeager. "There can be multiple avenues to report it so you feel comfortable telling what happened in your workplace."

She says many hotels train their staffs not to enter a room if a guest is present and is not properly dressed. In addition, she says, many hotels supply their employees with door stops so they can prop the door open so the room is open to the hallway.

Yeager says hotels encourage employees to report incidents. "If the staff is fearful about going into rooms, then you don't have a great staff," she says. "You have to keep your staff happy for a high level of guest service."

At the same time, the hotel has to protect the privacy of the guest, says Maize. "Typically, the room is the guest's property," he says.

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http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0518/Strauss-Kahn-case-raises-question-How-safe-are-hotel-employees

© The Christian Science Monitor.