TRENDING

A 2016 U . S . Equal Employment Opportunity Commission study identified 12 workplace risk factors concerning sexual harassment — cultural and language differences ; many young workers ; “ high-value employees ” ( like a celebrity chef ); a workplace that relies on customer satisfaction ; alcohol ... sounds a lot like a hotel restaurant , right ?

Janice Sued Agresti , associate , and Kevin Kraham , shareholder , at law firm Littler , recommend that employers review sexual harassment policies , particularly amid the heightened attention of # MeToo . A few questions to start :

Are policies and materials clear ?

If not , you may impose different disciplinary actions for the same type of offense or issue , based solely on who interpreted the policy , potentially creating a sense of bias .

Do employees know what to do ?

If your reporting scheme is difficult or unpredictable , employees will not be inclined to report . If a policy says , “ report it to a superior ,” who exactly is a superior ? What if the superior is the alleged harasser ? Bystanders are more likely to intervene in organizations that clearly state a refusal to tolerate harassment .

Does the policy comply with the law ?

Some U . S . states are legislating training , which used to be at the employer ’ s discretion . New York , for instance , now requires employers to maintain written sexual harassment prevention policies and provide annual sexual harassment programs to all employees .

The Shinola Hotel , expected to debut in the company ’ s hometown of Detroit by year-end , is a joint effort between the maker of luxury watches , bicycles and leather goods and Bedrock , a Detroit real estate development firm owned by billionaire businessman Dan Gilbert , a champion of revitalizing the city .

Husband-and-wife team Sergio Maclean and Audrey Laurent , whose newly minted Mac & Lo will manage the hotel , relocated from New York to Detroit to ensure the Shinola ethos is integrated into the hotel . Designed by New Yorkbased Gachot Studios , The Shinola look will lean toward midcentury modern , with a nod to the older structures ’ Art Deco origins . The lobby , designed with a residential feel and furnished with vinyl records and Shinola turntables , is meant to be a “ social living

Rendering of the Shinola Hotel

room ” for the city ’ s residents .

The Shinola is part of a flurry of downtown redevelopment that includes two hotel conversions slated to open around the same time : Element Hotel and Siren Hotel . At the moment , Leber says , “ you can ’ t get a hotel room in this city . There is so much demand , especially on the weekends .”

Events at Little Caesars Arena , which opened in 2017 , are driving much of the business , and companies like Google , Microsoft and Ford have moved offices into the city . According to Lodging Econometrics , the Detroit-area pipeline is up 4 % for the most recent quarter versus 2017 , with 77 properties representing about 8,000 rooms .

Bedrock and Shinola are eyeing locations for future joint projects . “ Realistically , we think everywhere Shinola has a brick-and-mortar presence is a city we would want to consider , since we already have brand recognition ,” Leber says .

— Megan Rowe