Cleaning New Jersey hotel rooms takes a severe toll on the body. If you make your living working as a hotel housekeeper, you may know that aches and pains are common in your line of work. While hotel workers of all types have a higher injury rate than service-sector employees who work outside of hotels, hotel housekeepers are especially at risk of a serious work-related injury.
According to UNITE HERE!, hotel workers, in general, face a 40% higher work-related injury rate than all other service-sector workers. However, hotel housekeepers, many of whom are females and minorities, face the highest injury rate of any service-sector employee, inside or outside of hotels.
Percentage of hotel housekeepers that face injuries
Work-related pain plagues most hotel housekeepers, with 91% saying they have experienced pain related to their job duties. Another 77% of hotel housekeepers noted that the work-related pain they experienced was severe enough to stop them from enjoying regular activities. Also, 66% of hotel housekeepers reported taking pain medication to make it through a workday.
Reasons why hotel housekeeping is so dangerous
Cleaning hotel rooms and common areas involves strenuous physical labor. You may spend a good part of your day lifting or moving heavy furniture or objects. You may also find yourself bending over frequently to pick things up off the floor or straining your body to clean hard-to-reach areas, among other job-related hazards.
As hotels across New Jersey and the nation continue to face staffing shortages, the strain that hotel housekeepers face is likely to increase.