The fast-paced hospitality industry can be a pleasant and social atmosphere to work in for people who enjoy interacting with others. Unfortunately, working in a somewhat casual atmosphere can sometimes cause HR issues in hospitality-oriented businesses that result in costly lawsuits and stressful situations for managers and employers. The good news is that implementing a few solid policies within your company procedures can reduce the instances of employee
incidents and protect your business from false lawsuits.

1. Sexual Harassment

One of the more prevalent HR issues in the hospitality industry is sexual harassment. Though most employees and associates are well aware of what is considered inappropriate behavior in the workplace, applying solid sexual harassment awareness and prevention
procedures to your company policies can help you avoid a costly wrongful termination suit. One way to protect your business from such suits and accusations is to require that all newly hired employees enter into a code of conduct and behavior agreement that clearly outlines
inappropriate behavior and the subsequent repercussions. Keeping accurate records of reported employee incidents, warnings and suspensions and following written procedures can help alleviate sexual harassment issues in the workplace.

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Abstract: This article presents findings of issues, challenges and trends that hospitality industry might fact in the year ahead respectively. Top issues that will influence the global hospitality industry in the year ahead include sustainable development calls for green hospitality, labor cost, multicultural issues and higher education. Challenges that facing hospitality include will include operating issues, marketing issues, technological issues and economic issues. Identified ten key trends that, taken together, we believe will shape the hospitality sector this year and for years to come include rapid growth in vacation ownership, integration & globalization, new management.

1. ISSUES IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

1.1 Sustainable Development Calls for Green Hospitality
Going green is a white-hot issue in the hospitality-design industry. People are beginning to look at sustainable solutions in a whole new way. The perception of green has changed; it has gone from a fringe movement to mainstream.

As a sign of its sweeping popularity, one of the best attended sessions at the recent Lodging Conference in Phoenix was: “Going Green: Environmentally Profitable Hotels.” Some of the pioneers of the green hospitality movement, there were to share their challenges and triumphs in working toward a carbon constrained future. The basis of sustainable hospitality operation is a three-part balance, expressed as “profits, people, and planet.” By taking those three elements into account, thus, a sustainable green hospitality development program becomes economically viable, as well as beneficial to the community and environment.

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You should not consider angry customers to be the bane of your company’s business. You should embrace them. They are oftentimes the catalyst or stepping stone to helping you improve your business to the next level of quality...
Therefore, it behoves you as a businessperson or a service agent, to brace yourself, suck it up, and listen to (and actually hear) what your angry customer has to say.

When an angry customer contacts you or your business, there are four elements that absolutely need to be addressed, with care and urgency.

1. The Issue at hand – what brought on this anger in the first place?

2. The Anger itself – how to handle the interpersonal aspect of dealing with an angry person?

3. The Resolution – how will you rectify this situation to the customer’s satisfaction?

4. Going Forward – what changes/safeguards will you put in place to ensure this problem does not again anger this, or another, customer?

We will look at these issues one at a time, but realize that in the heat of the moment, you may very well have to juggle more than one of them at once.

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The hospitality industry provides fertile soil for growing a nasty, parastic weed - employment-related lawsuits. Its high employee turnover, large percentage of hourly workers, and often young, uneducated, and inexperienced work force, are just a few of the industry’s characteristics that lend to consistent employment litigation. The litigation trend, unfortunately, show no signs of slowing down. Hospitality employees, armed with an arsenal of legal claims, are suing their employers in record numbers, and costing businesses countless millions in settlements, defense costs, and adverse publicity.

The good news is that an employer can effectively prevent litigation by developing and implementing a top-notch risk management program. The following are five essential steps that hospitality business employers can take to help minimize the threat of litigation:

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