Occupational health of immigrant hotel housekeepers
By Dr. Valeriya Shapoval
The accommodation sector is one of the largest employers of minority and immigrant workers in the United States, with housekeeping being one of the largest forces. A housekeeping job is labor intensive and represents many physical and mental challenges. Approximately 53 million hold low-wage jobs in the United States, many of which are in the hospitality industry, where housekeeping is one of the largest sectors.
Several studies conducted research with Hispanic hotel housekeepers found that workers are regularly exposed to physical strains and hazards, chemical and biological exposures (e.g., toxic cleaning solutions, human tissue/secretions, etc.), and psychological hazards (e.g., workload pace, uncertainty, time pressure, bullying, etc.), where these exposures also exacerbated by foreign status or lack of legal documents, language barriers, and financial insecurity due to a low pay job.
While housekeepers' work conditions have many challenges, understanding specific health concerns and coping mechanisms can become a turning point in the change of housekeepers' working conditions. This study found that housekeepers struggle with lower and upper back pain, arms, and wrists, among many other issues. Exposure to cleaning chemicals created burns and loss of fingerprints. Overall, housekeepers indicated that carrying heavy loads of laundry, poor cleaning supplies, and poorly working carts have a major negative impact on their health. Many indicated uses of over-the-counter medications, religious activities, crying, and calling off work as a coping mechanism. Immigrant and minority workers in this study work under great time pressures and endure excessive workloads that are not easily completed without forgoing breaks and meeting basic biological needs. Thus, creating even more strain on their overall health.
It is vital for the industry to acknowledge that housekeeping is a very demanding job, physically and psychologically. Relatively simple and inexpensive changes can make a big difference in housekeepers’ work environment. Management could provide relief and improve workers’ health by providing functional equipment that eases the need for extensive physical exertion, proper rest brakes, and sufficient and efficient cleaning inventory, thus reducing the possibility of accidents and improving productivity at a relatively low cost.
Article Details
Occupational Health and Safety of Immigrant Hotel Housekeepers
Valeriya Shapoval, PhD, Sevil Sönmez, PhD, Yu-Chin (Jerrie) Hsieh, PhD, and Yorghos Apostolopoulos, PhD
First published online May 14, 2022
DOI: 10.1177/21650799221090712
Workplace Health & Safety
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