Earlier this month, a California State Senator pushed for a mandate that would force hotels in California to switch from flat sheets to fitted alternatives. The goal behind the bill was to reduce worker injuries, but many argue the move could cost the hotel industry millions.
Today, some are calling it the "Fitted Sheet Law" or the "Bedsheet Bill," but no matter what it is called, the Senate Bill (SB) 432 is getting a lot of coverage.
According to reports from News 10 in Sacramento, Cal., some agree that requiring fitted sheets will prevent a series of injuries. Others argue that claim.
"There is absolutely no scientific proof that fitted sheets are safer than flat sheets. If there were, we'd be using them already," a spokesperson with the California Hotel Association said. "It not only makes humane sense to keep workers healthy, it makes business sense. Workers comp is expensive; absenteeism is expensive. These are costs we don't want to incur."
The California Hotel Association is trying to kill the bill. A spokesperson for the group said the changes would cost $30 million to $50 million for the hotel industry in the state.
"Right now, we pretty much use king flat sheets for every single bed. You have 550,000 hotel rooms in the state of California - many of them with more than one bed," the spokesperson said. "If we switched to fitted sheets, they'd need to match queens, doubles, roll-aways, fold-outs and cribs. So, instead of the housekeepers going and grabbing what they need for their day, they're going to be matching all of these. That takes a lot of time and slows down productivity. When you slow down productivity, costs go up. It's not going to create more jobs."
"I believe the legislation is flawed. If the intent is to increase worker safety? That's fine. This won't do it." a representative with CHA said. "I'm sure our legislators should be focusing on education or the economy right now."
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