Chicago's Hotel Workers Sexual Harassment Ordinance MCC 4-6-180 requires panic buttons and anti-harassment training for hotel housekeepers but does not mandate successor employer retention. The federal WARN Act provides 60-day layoff notice for properties of 100 or more workers.
Adopted in 2018, MCC 4-6-180 (the Hands Off Pants On ordinance) requires every hotel in Chicago to provide a portable panic button to each housekeeping employee assigned to clean guest rooms alone, post a written sexual harassment policy, train staff annually, and reassign workers who report harassment without retaliation. Unlike Los Angeles (LAMC 187.21) or some California cities, Chicago has no successor employer retention requirement preserving incumbent hotel workers for 90 days after ownership change. Illinois follows the federal WARN Act under 29 USC 2101: employers with 100 or more full-time workers must give 60 days' advance notice of mass layoffs or plant closures. UNITE HERE Local 1 represents most Chicago downtown hotel workers and bargains retention through collective agreements.
Panic button violations under MCC 4-6-180 trigger fines of $250-$500 per offense and possible license revocation. WARN Act violations require back pay and benefits for the notice period. No general successor retention liability applies absent a union contract.
Chicago, IL
Chicago sets its own minimum wage under MCC Ch. 1-24, reaching $16.20 per hour in July 2024 with annual CPI indexing. The rate exceeds Illinois's state floor...
Chicago, IL
Chicago has no hotel-specific living wage like Los Angeles. General minimum wage under MCC 1-24 reaches $16.20 per hour for large employers as of July 2024, ...
See how Chicago's hotel worker retention rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.