One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Employees of W Hollywood Hotel Say They Miss Breaks to Clean 'Glitter on the Wall'
Photo by Benjamin Page via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
Workers at the W Hotel in Hollywood have to deal with the remnants of guests' debauchery, and they say they're not given enough time to do it. Now, they've filed a claim against the hotel chain, saying that they're owed thousands of dollars from missed breaks.
Under California state law, the hotel, which is owned by HEI Hospitality, is required to give employees two ten-minute breaks during an eight-hour shift, and one thirty minute break. For each break that's missed, the worker is entitled to an hour of pay. Workers say that because of the heavy workload, they routinely don't get any time to stop for a breather.
The claim was filed yesterday by bellmen, housekeepers and other employees, and to hear them tell it, they're cleaning up after Mötley Crüe circa 1989 every day of the week.
"I have found rooms trashed from guests’ partying—feather pillows split open, balloons, glitter and decorations on the wall, cake thrown on the ceiling, cigarette butts and ashes on the floor, lipstick letters on the mirrors, rose petals everywhere, candle wax hardened on furniture—we have to clean it all up and fast,” said one housekeeper in a statement.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
