Anaheim Marriott Cited $12.5M for Violating California Worker Recall Law

A state investigation found that Anaheim Marriott hotel violated California’s worker recall law, resulting in estimated damages for the violations of $12.5 million.

The damages will go to 28 workers who were laid off during the pandemic and were reportedly not offered opportunities to return to work in a timely manner according to their seniority.

The California Labor Commissioner’s Office cited the Anaheim Marriott hotel, at 700 W Convention Way, after an LCO investigation launched in 2022 revealed that the hotel failed to comply with worker-recall rights requirements.

Despite the hotel’s reopening in 2021, long-serving employees were not offered reemployment, or were offered an open position belatedly after other workers with less seniority were rehired. The affected employees, some of them with as many as 40 years of service, include bell attendants, banquet captains, engineers, landscapers, and lead cooks, according to the LCO.

The investigation was initiated following reports submitted by Unite Here Local 11 on behalf of laid-off workers, alleging that the Anaheim Marriott violated workers’ recall rights by hiring through staffing agencies instead of recalling employees based on seniority.

The citations hold jointly liable Marriott Hotel Services Inc., Marriott Hotel Services LLC and Marriott International Inc., operating under the dba Anaheim Marriott.

California’s workers’ recall rights protections were initiated during the pandemic. Under SB 93, effective April 16, 2021, hospitality and service industry employers, including hotels, airports, and large event centers, must offer laid-off employees the opportunity to return to their jobs based on seniority before hiring new workers or using outside staffing agencies. The law went into effect on April 16, 2021, and has been extended to December 31, 2025.

Topics California