Airbnb Plus’ Risky Bet to Push Homesharing to a New Level

April 12, 2018

If Airbnb is successful with Airbnb Plus, it will ensure that alternative accommodations are no longer seen as an alternative. But making it a success will be easier said than done.

— Deanna Ting

By Deanna Ting of skift.com

When Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky took to the stage in San Francisco on February 22 and said that “Airbnb is for everyone,” it was more than just a company slogan.

It was a statement about the evolution of the sharing of homes that’s becoming more professionalized, more standardized, and in some cases, a lot more like a hotel.

Of all the new features and products Chesky outlined, the official launch of Airbnb Plus in February was particularly emblematic of this convergence taking place in the hospitality industry where the traditional categories of lodging are beginning to blur.

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Piloted under the project name Airbnb Select over at least a two-year period, Airbnb Plus consists of 2,000 verified listings in 13 cities around the world. These homes, Airbnb attests, have been verified by Airbnb to be “beautiful homes” with “exceptional hosts” and “premium support” for both customers and hosts, Chesky noted. And they include both entire homes, as well as private rooms and bathrooms.

Good Hiring Practices Part 1

The First of Two Articles on Good Hiring Practices

Improperly managed hiring practices can possibly result in claims of negligent hiring. More and more of these kinds of claims are being made in a variety of circumstances.

To prevent such claims, take care in following legally compliant and smart hiring practices to determine a job candidate’s appropriateness for the position. There are a number of federal, state and local laws that govern which questions can or cannot be asked in the interview process.

Employing reference checks are an important step in good hiring practices. Depending on the type of position, there may be other kinds of background checks or pre-employment testing required.

In preparing your interview questions, carefully kieep in mind the following considerations to minimize liability for negligent hiring:

Establish potential liability factors such as high stress, handling negotiable instruments, driving vehicles, working with children and access to private property.
Determine the traits that could be related to these factors, such as poor driving records, criminal records or credit records. Keep in mind that there may be legal limits to gathering this information.
If there is a job-related reason to obtain the candidate’s conviction history, the employer is required to wait until after the initial job offer has been made and then adhere to the strict rules regarding notice to the applicant.
Ask the applicant about gaps in their employment. Perhaps there is an acceptable explanation, but asking the question is still valid and may offer the employer information about the applicant.
In performing a reference check, ask each previous employer for the dates of employment and positions held. You may also ask about about the employee’s reliability, tendency to engage in violent conduct, if any, and any instances of insubordination, dishonesty or other potential problems. Although many employers do not give this kind of information to prospective employers, it is wise to record your effort to obtain that information, even if your efforts were not successful. Document all the information you obtain from prior employers and references.
Get a release which protects you and the people that you contact about references, from claims for invasion of privacy or defamation.
If necessary for the job, require job applicants to give you certified copies of insurance, credentials, licenses, transcripts or other documents.
Ensure that employment applications inform applicants that omissions, misrepresentations or falsifications of information will result in the applicant’s rejection or the employee’s termination.
Pre-employment drug testing as a condition of hire may be conducted after you the job to the applicant.

CLIA lodging members can call the FREE CLIA Helpline at 916 925-2915 with questions about this topic as well as other labor, legal and operational questions.

What Is GDPR?

GDPR is almost here – What you need to know

On May 25, 2018 the European Union (EU) will put into effect the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The GDPR will strengthen and unify data protection of all individuals who reside in the EU. The GDPR is one of the most comprehensive data privacy regulations in the world and is part of an ongoing effort by the EU to create a privacy-based framework that will ultimately culminate in the release of the ePrivacy regulations sometime in the near future.

The primary aim of the GDPR is to give control to EU citizens and residents over personal data and to create a unified framework that all members of the EU can adopt to protect citizens. With personal data – and the misuse of personal data – becoming critical conversation points across the Globe, understanding the implication of the GDPR is important for any business.

Are you impacted by the GDPR?

In general, the GDPR requires companies to comply – regardless of their location of business – if at least one of the following is true:

You have a presence in the EU
You do not have a presence in the EU, but process personal data of EU residents
Your organization has more than 250 employees
Your organization has fewer than 250 employees but has data processing that impacts the “rights and freedoms of data subjects, is not occasional or includes certain types of sensitive data.”

Inhospitable to Human Trafficking:

Training Workshop

DATE AND TIME

Monday April 30, 2018

6:00-8:30 p.m.

LOCATION

Courtyard by Marriott

700 W. Huntington Drive

Monrovia, CA 91016

Presented by BEST: Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking

This workshop will empower you to make a difference in the lives of those who are exploited by equipping you with best practices to identify and report suspected trafficking incidents, prevent trafficking, and increase hotel safety. You will learn how to protect your hotel from legal risks, security risks, and reputational risks. You will also learn how to use BEST’s online training program to train all staff at your properties and discover ways to build upon your existing human trafficking training tools.

All attendees will receive a certification of completion by BEST at the end of the workshop.

SPACE LIMITED YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER TO ATTEND

COST: $20 Per Person Includes Light Refreshments

Registration and Information

Contact: Bobbie Singh-Allen bsinghallen@clia.org 916 925.2915

2018 Fisher Phillips Firm OSHA Webinar Series

Join Fisher Phillips attorney, Ed Foulke, for a complimentary webinar series dedicated to hot topics in workplace safety and employment law.

May 16 | 11:00am

Topic: Active Shooter

September 19 | 11:00am

Topic: OSHA Walking-Working Surfaces & Fall Protection

November 14 | 11:00am

Topic: Developing Safety Managers Into Corporate Leaders

Click here to register.

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2018 Labor & Employment Webinar Series

Conn Maciel Carey ’s 2018 Labor & Employment Webinar Series , hosted by the firm's Labor & Employment Practice Group , is designed to give you the practical solutions to ensure you are running your business in a way that does not run afoul of the most important labor and employment laws facing our workforce today.

Click here for the full schedule and program descriptions.