Common injuries in this line of work
Housekeeping is some of the most physical work in the building. Housekeepers lift heavy mattresses to make beds, push loaded carts down long halls, scrub tubs on their knees and move furniture to vacuum. Doing many rooms each shift can strain the shoulders, back and wrists over time.
Hotel kitchens bring burns from hot oil, steam and ovens, plus deep cuts from knives and broken glass. Banquet and room service staff carry heavy trays and push carts. Bell staff lift luggage. Wet bathroom floors, pool decks, service stairs and loading areas lead to slips and falls.
Guest-facing staff can face upset or aggressive guests. Night shifts, weekend work and seasonal hiring are common. Some workers are employed by the hotel; others work for a management company, a staffing agency or a contractor that runs a restaurant or spa inside the property.
Common situations
- Slipped on a wet floor at work
- Fell down the stairs at work
- Hurt my shoulder pushing or pulling a heavy cart
- Injured moving furniture or heavy beds at a hotel
- Back pain from cleaning work
- Restaurant kitchen burn
- Steam burn at work
- Deep knife cut in a restaurant kitchen
- Cut by broken glass at work
- Attacked by a customer
Reporting it and the claim process
Find out who your employer is. If a management company, staffing agency or outside restaurant company pays you, report to them as well as the hotel manager. Ask who handles workers' comp.
Deadlines to report and file vary by state, so check with your state's workers' compensation agency as soon as possible. For shoulder or back pain from many shifts of housekeeping, write down when it began and which tasks make it worse.
If a guest hurt you, hotel security may also write a report. Ask for a copy or the report number. Keep your schedule, room assignments, injury report and medical papers together.
Getting medical care
Burns and deep cuts should be seen promptly. Strain injuries also deserve a visit, especially if pain wakes you at night or keeps you from lifting. Tell the clinician you were hurt at work and what your job involves.
Some states and employers have rules about which provider you see first. Ask your manager or the claims adjuster. A licensed clinician decides what care is appropriate after an evaluation.
Ask how work-injury prescriptions are handled. Many can be filled at a local pharmacy, and some can be delivered to your home if you work late shifts.
Prescribed medication? Learn about prescription home delivery and medications often used after work injuries.
When people often talk to an attorney
- A guest attacked you, or a third party like a contractor was involved.
- Your claim for shoulder or back pain from housekeeping is denied.
- You work for a staffing agency or management company and nobody owns the claim.
- Your hours or room count changed after you reported.
- A serious burn or cut may affect your ability to work long term.
- You are offered a settlement and want to understand it.
Recovery and going back to work
Follow the care plan and keep appointments. Tell your clinician how many rooms or covers you handle in a normal shift.
Ask whether modified work is available, such as fewer rooms, laundry folding, front desk work or prep tasks with no lifting. Get any offer in writing and share it with your doctor.
Stay in touch with your manager and the adjuster. If you are seasonal, give them a way to reach you after the season ends.
Questions to ask
- Is my employer the hotel, a management company or an agency?
- Who handles workers' comp, and what is my claim number?
- Can camera footage of the area be saved?
- Can my room count or duties be reduced while I recover?
- Which clinic should I see for follow-up?
- Can my prescriptions be delivered to my home?
- What are the reporting deadlines in my state?
If you're hurt on the job
Emergency? Call 911- 1Call 911 for a serious burn, deep cut with heavy bleeding, a head injury from a fall or an assault.
- 2For a burn, cool it with cool running water and get medical care. Do not put ice directly on it.
- 3For a deep cut, press firmly with a clean cloth and get care.
- 4Tell your manager or supervisor and report the injury in writing. Keep a copy.
- 5Write down the room number, area, time and who saw it.
- 6Ask security whether camera footage of the area can be saved, and take photos if it is safe.
General information only — not medical or legal advice.
Injuries common in hotels & hospitality
Other industries
Frequently asked questions
What should hotel and hospitality workers do after a slip in a guest bathroom?
Get medical care, especially if you hit your head, and report the fall in writing. Note the room number and the time. Take a photo of the floor if it is safe.
Is shoulder pain from making beds a work injury?
It may be, depending on your state and the facts. Pain that builds up from repeated work tasks is often treated as a work injury. Report it and tell your doctor about your duties.
What if a hotel guest attacked me?
Get to safety and call 911 if you are hurt. Report it to your manager and security in writing. People often consult an attorney when a guest or third party causes an injury.
I work in a restaurant inside the hotel — who do I report to?
Report to the company that pays you, and tell the hotel manager too. Ask who handles workers' comp. Keep copies of everything.
What should I do after a steam burn in the hotel kitchen?
Cool the burn with cool running water and get medical care. Call 911 for large burns or burns on the face. Report it in writing.
Can I get fewer rooms while I heal?
Some hotels offer a lighter room count or other tasks during recovery. Ask for the offer in writing. Share it with your doctor so they can say whether it fits.
Prescriptions.plus is an educational portal. We are not a pharmacy, law firm, medical provider, insurer or claims administrator, and nothing here is medical or legal advice. Educational purposes only. Workers' compensation rules and deadlines vary by state — check with your state's workers' compensation agency. Medical emergency? Call 911. Hurt outside of work? Personal-injury legal help: attorneys.plus (coming soon).