Labor and Employment Roundup: What to Expect in 2026
JMBM law firm outlines 15+ new California employment laws taking effect in 2026, including expanded paid family leave, AI regulations, and strengthened whistleblower protections.
News
Excellence Endowment Bolsters Senior Living Programing in Hospitality Management
Penn State's School of Hospitality Management receives $50,000 total from Liberty Lutheran and Waverly Heights to expand senior living career programming.
Beyond the Business Case: What Hotels Get Wrong About Neurodiversity Employment
Despite 40% of UK hotels having neuroinclusion policies, fewer than 15% of neurodivergent employees find accommodations effective, revealing a gap between corporate commitments and operational reality.
By Jayanti Jayanti, Senior Lecturer in Hospitality Management, University of West London
Delivering The “Vibe” Of Hospitality Requires E.P.I.C. Qualities
The author introduces KTN's new training program using the E.P.I.C. framework (Enthusiasm, Proactivity, Intuition, Connection) to develop what he calls "heart skills" in hospitality workers.
By Doug Kennedy, President of the Kennedy Training Network, Kennedy Training Network (KTN)
AI in Hospitality Is Not About Replacing People — It’s About Stabilising the Ones You Have
Pertlink's AI playbook provides hotels with practical tools to reduce turnover and stabilize operations using AI as decision support, not staff replacement.
Hozpitality Group Celebrates the 11th Middle East Hospitality Excellence Awards & GM Powerlist 2025 at Arabian Ranches Golf Club, Dubai
The 11th annual awards recognized 40+ general managers and hospitality leaders across Dubai and the Middle East, with winners including Mark Kirby from One&Only Resorts and Fredrik Reinisch from Marriott Marquis Dubai Creek.
UN Tourism and International Baccalaureate Organization partner to grow tourism education at high school level
The partnership will focus on joint initiatives to enhance skills development and professional training for high school students entering the tourism sector.
Dusit Thani College begins new wave of global expansion, introduces fast-track hospitality training in Saudi Arabia
The six-month program launches in Riyadh in January 2026, targeting Saudi Arabia's projected 2.7 million hospitality jobs by 2025.
Sustainability Is Reshaping Hotel Roles and Workforce Expectations
Hotels with dedicated sustainability teams jumped from 2% to 59% between 2022-2024, while 71% of workers now consider environmental records in job decisions.
Can Career Mobility Be a New Solution to Lodging Workforce Development?
Research identifies 21 key factors for career mobility in lodging, revealing significant gaps between employee importance ratings and actual industry performance.
By Haemoon Oh and Miyoung Jeong
Black Representation in Hospitality Leadership Remains Low at Just 9.5%
Analysis of BLS data reveals Black professionals declined from 11.3% to 9.5% of hospitality leadership roles between 2022-2024, with only 2.1% holding director-to-CEO positions.
New 2025 Hotel Labor Costs & Trends Report Finds Operators Improve Labor Efficiency Amid Rising Wages and Softer Revenue
Report reveals U.S. hotels cut labor hours by 7-15% across departments while maintaining profitability despite wage increases up to 5.9%.
HotelData.com and Actabl
On-Site Training: Always a Smart Option
Maestro promotes onsite training as superior to remote learning for hotel staff development, citing better engagement and real-world practice.
By Wendy Paul-Leonard, Senior Training Services Manager, Maestro
New 2025 Hotel Labor Costs & Trends Report Finds Operators Improve Labor Efficiency Amid Rising Wages and Softer Revenue
The study analyzed thousands of U.S. hotels and found operators cut hours per occupied room 7-15% while increasing headcount 4-9%, improving productivity without service cuts.
The smarter way to hire staff: rethinking hotel recruitment
Mews executives share how hotels can adopt tech industry recruitment practices, including employer branding, pay transparency, and social media channels to combat 70-80% turnover rates.
U.S. Hospitality Hits an All-Time Workforce High as a New Labor Crisis Emerges, New 2025 Report Finds
Despite reaching record workforce levels, the industry faces 70-80% annual turnover in hotels and restaurants, with QSR exceeding 100%.
Doug Kennedy’s Next Staff Training Webcast: Using The Value Pyramid Model To Sell Guest Experiences and Not Just Quote Rates
Kennedy Training Network offers free 40-minute webcast series on sales techniques, starting with December 19 session on moving beyond rate-focused selling to experience-based value propositions.
UN Tourism joins AWE in delivering practical solutions for more accessible and inclusive tourism businesses
UN Tourism and AWE released five practical steps for tourism businesses to improve accessibility, targeting a market of 1.3 billion people with disabilities.
Accor marks International Day of Persons with Disabilities with milestone progress in inclusive employment
Accor has hired 35 people with cognitive disabilities across Australia through its Diversity Pathways program, partnering with Flinders University.
Why your team still holds the key to guest satisfaction
Shiji Q3 2025 data shows positive staff mentions boost hotel review scores by 0.5-0.6 points globally, proving human connection drives guest satisfaction even as AI handles routine tasks.
By Jessica Kurtz, Global Product Ambassador, Shiji