Industry Human Resources Unit - MOTAC

Contents

Objective

Scope

Overview

Definitions

General

Accommodation Units

Location of Accommodation Units

Bedrooms

Amenities

Unit Sizes

Guidance on taking Measurements

Occupation

Security

Social and Recreational Facilities

Lounges

Communication and Recreational Facilities

Lighting

Meal provision

Dining Facilities

Kitchen

Menu Selection

WC and bath/shower facilities

WC

Bath/shower

Laundry

Staffed Laundry

Laundry Facilities

Backup facility agreements

Laundrettes

Space Cooling and Water Supply

Healthcare Facilities

Mosque

Convenience Store/Tuck Shop

Accommodation Management and Maintenance

Responsibilities of the Management

Duty of Management to take safety measures

Duty of Management to maintain water supply and drainage

Duty of Management to supply and maintain electricity

Duty of Management to maintain common parts, fixtures, fittings and appliances

Duty of Management to maintain living accommodation

Duty to provide waste disposal facilities

Outsourcing

General

Tenancy Agreements

Inspection of Staff Facilities

Mandatory Facilities on Uninhabited Islands

Adoption of Standards

Staff Facilities Standards at Tourism Related Establishments

Objective

  • To improve the quality of living at tourist establishments
  • To regulate the responsibilities of the management and the tenants with respect to staff accommodation facilities at tourist establishments
  • To create incentives for locals to work in the tourism sector

Scope

  • Resorts
  • Hotels
  • Guesthouses
  • Recreational Dive Centers
  • Marinas
  • Picnic Islands

Overview

This regulation outlines the minimum standards for the physical facilities that should be provided to staff working at tourist establishments. This regulation will focus largely on housing facilities for multiple occupants on a sharing basis; however it will also address the needs of individual staff units such as accommodation for families with children.

Definitions

  • Accommodation – Living quarters and basic facilities provided to an employee of a tourist facility which conform to the standards set forth in this regulation
  • Accommodation Facility – A structure, group of structures or a building complex in which living quarters and other facilities specified in this regulation are provided for the use of employees of a tourist facility
  • Accommodation unit – A single unit of living quarters within an Accommodation Facility which is able to be occupied by one or more employees within the standards of this regulation
  • Management – An individual or company which is responsible for the management of the tourist facility
  • Manager – An individual who is responsible for the management of the Accommodation Facility
  • Occupier – An employee of the tourist facility which has signed a tenancy agreement with the Management for the use of its Accommodation Facility

General

This document specifies the standards pertaining to the provision of facilities provided to employees of tourist establishments.

The Management of the tourist facility shall be responsible for the provision and management of facilities provided to its employees.

The Management may delegate the management of the staff facilities to an independent party; however the duty remains with the Management to ensure that the independent party maintains the standards set forth in this regulation.

Accommodation Units

Location of Accommodation Units

All staff accommodation units shall be built separate from the guest rooms without exception. These shall be in staff only designated areas.

Bedrooms

Bedrooms within each accommodation unit shall conform to the following standards:

  • Inside surfaces of all walls should be plastered and aesthetically appealing to the satisfaction of the Ministry
  • Floors shall be tiled

Amenities

The management shall be responsible for providing the following basic amenities and furniture for the occupants. Furthermore, a full inventory of all items that shall be provided by the management to the occupiers shall be outlined in a written tenancy contract:

  • 1 Single bed frame per occupant (to fit a mattress of minimum 914mm x 1829mm)
  • Where 2 tier bunks are used, the lowest level of the top bunk may not be less than 750mm from the top of the lower bunk when fitted with a mattress.
  • 1 mattress ( 914mm x 1829mm x 102mm )
  • 2 pillows per occupier (minimum 508mm x 66mm).
  • 1 wardrobe for not more than 6 occupiers (minimum depth 650mm, height 2100mm and width 900mm per occupier) with individual lockable compartments for each occupier. The compartments may be separated into individual sections if necessary, however the minimum dimensions must be adhered to. The wardrobe shall be placed clear of windows and constructed of a strong, hard wearing material with surfaces finished to an acceptable level of decorative repair.

Unit Sizes

Number of Persons / Minimum Size of Unit
1 / 6.5m2
2 / 10.2 m2
3 / 13.4 m2
4 / 16.5 m2
5 / 19.6 m2
6 / 22.7 m2

A room shall not accommodate more than 6 (persons) for maintaining privacy and hygienic condition.

Guidance on taking Measurements

Only practical useable living space must be measured. This space:

  • Does not include any area taken up by bathroom facilities within the room.
  • Does not include the chimney breast and small alcoves.
  • Does not include the floor area where the ceiling height is less than 1.9 meters, or in addition, in attic rooms, any floor area in the eaves of the room where the soffit height is less than 1.53 meters.
  • Does not include any fire lobby or bathroom lobby.

In calculating practical living space, the following can be taken into account:

  • If a studio room has a partition, the floor area of both rooms can be included.Roomsless than the minimum area permitted of 6.5m2cannot be used for sleeping.
  • Half the area taken provided by a bay window can be included.
Entrance lobbies/corridors within accommodation units
  • Where the room door opens into alobby/corridor that is less than 1.2 meters wide, the entire lobby/corridor shouldbe discounted.
  • Where the lobby/corridor is between 1.2 and 1.8 meters, some ofthe area may be counted (this reflects the fact that wider corridors are able tomake a contribution to the storage capacity and spaciousness of bedrooms.
  • Theallowable area is calculated by deducting 1.2 meters from the width andmultiplying this by the length of the corridor. For example, if a corridor into a roomis 1.5 meters wide by 2.5 meters deep, the useable area of the corridor would be(1.5 – 1.2 =) 0.3 x 2.5 meters.
  • No deduction should be made where doors openinto corridors/lobbies of more than 1.8 meters width.

Occupation

  • 2 tier bunk beds are permitted providing the ceiling height is greater than 3.1m, and the permitted number standard above is not exceeded.
  • The maximum number of occupants in an accommodation unit shall be subject to inspection and approval of the Ministry and the Management shall take reasonable measures to ensure that this maximum occupancy is not exceeded in any accommodation unit without exception
  • Each subsequent increase in occupancy for each accommodation unit shall be subject to the inspection and approval of the Ministry

Security

Doors to accommodation units and rooms should be fitted with secure locks thatcan be opened from the inside without the use of a key (asa fire safety precaution), to prevent the entry by intruders. It will normally be necessary to fita deadlock in addition to a Yale-type latch to a room door.

Any reasonably accessible window should be capable of being secured againstintruders.

Social and RecreationalFacilities

Lounges

Where there are more than 20 occupiers in the property a lounge area shall be provided for residents’ use. The area (or aggregate areas, if more than one is provided) shall be calculated on the basis of 1m2 for each occupier; no lounge provided should be less than 10m2 in area.

Where practicable, staff lounges shall be provided with television sets of reasonable size and specification, with access to local and international channels.

Communication and Recreational Facilities

  • Employees shall be given access to telephone and internet facilities at local rates or as per employment contracts.
  • Where practicable, staff rooms shall be provided with television sets with access to local and international channels
  • Employees shall have access to at least one open, level field for team sports, andwhere applicable, access to swimming areas at designated times.
  • Employees shall have access to a reasonably equipped gymnasium with the following minimum facilities
  • Adjustable bench with multisystem machines or individual body part machines
  • Chinning bar
  • Free weight sets (dumbbells and barbells).
  • Exercise bike or Treadmill
  • Exercise mats, ropes and bands

Lighting

General lighting level in all areas of staff accommodation to be a minimum of 50 lux.

Meal provision

A full refectory service must be provided to all occupiers of the Accommodation Facility free of charge. A full refectory service means a service, provided on sitewhich provides 3 full meals a dayin addition to evening tea that are sufficient and suitable for the occupants. Theseare to be provided 7 days per week.Cold drinking water must also be available at other times between meal times.

Dining Facilities

Where more than one dining facility is present, the collective capacity of the dining facilities and kitchens must comply with the following standards.

  • The dining facilities shall be readily accessible and in any event not more than 5 minuteswalk away from the Accommodation Facility,
  • Tablesshould be covered with hard wearing and easily cleanable surfaces
  • Sufficient tables and chairs to seata minimum of 30% of the staff in one sitting
  • Sufficient cutleryfor the minimum seating capacity of the dining facility in one sitting
  • Hand washing and electronic hand drying facilities in or adjacent to dining area at a rate of 1 such facility for not more than 20 employees with respect to the maximum dining capacity.

Kitchen

  • The kitchen shall be equipped with sufficient facilities to be able to cook, store, serve food, and wash dishes, for the minimum seating capacity of the dining facility
  • Floor covering must be hard wearing and washable.
  • There must be adequate mechanical ventilation, where practicable.
  • Any mechanical ventilation provided to the kitchen area should be via an extract cooker-hood vented to the external air.
  • There must be artificial lighting sufficient to carry out normal activities within a kitchen area.
  • The kitchen must be adequate in size, and in any case must not be less than 5.5m2 and be so arranged to allow safe access and use.
  • Kitchen facilities must be suitably located to allow the occupants to adequately store, prepare and cook their food.

Menu Selection

The management shall take reasonable measures to consult the employees regularly on the preparation of the dining menu, taking into account the affordability and availability and considering the nutritional value of ingredients necessary for preparation.

  • Muslim staffs who observe the Ramadan fast shall be given access for breakfast at the appropriate prayer time.
  • Regular meals shall be rescheduled for Muslim staff and arrangements shall be made for meals taken before the fast (“Suhoor”) and upon completion of the fasting day(“Iftar”).

WC and bath/shower facilities

WC

A WC must be provided, not being more than onefloor distant from each user, and provided at a ratio of not less than one WC per six persons.

Any future developments or renovations to the Accommodation Facility after the implementation of this regulation will require all WC’s to be contained in their own compartments, and any WC within a bathroom will not be included for counting purposes as theremust be a separate WC compartment.

Each WC (whether within its own compartment or within a bathroom) must have:

  • Adequate ventilation and lighting.
  • Adequate size and layout.
  • A suitable wash hand basin, minimum size 500mm x 600mm, provided with constant and adequate supply of water and properly connected to the drainage system.
  • A tiled splashback (minimum 300mm high) shall be provided to the wash hand basin.
  • An appropriate door which is lockable and ensures privacy for the user
  • Suitable plumbing fixtures for personal cleanliness such as bidet or Muslim shower

Bath/shower

A bath (minimum dimensions 1600mm x 700mm) or shower (minimum dimensions800mm x 800mm) with constant and adequate supply of water, andproperly connected to the drainage system, not being more than one floor distant fromeach user, should be provided at a ratio of not less than one bath orshower per 6 persons.

Each shower room/bathroom must be provided with the following:

  • A tiled splash back (minimum 450mm high) to the bath
  • The floors and walls of each shower room/bathroom shall be fully tiled.
  • A fully tiled shower or the shower must be in a purpose built shower cubicle, witha suitable water resistant shower curtain or door to the cubicle.
  • Adequate ventilation and lighting.
  • An appropriate door which is lockable
  • Each bath or shower room (excluding shower enclosures) must have a vanity unit with a washhand basin, minimum size 500mm x 600mm, with a constant supply of water and a tiled splashback (minimum 300mm high). Each vanity unit must have sufficient storage space to be shared among each of the occupiers for toiletries and cosmetics, along with a suitable sized mirror
  • Adequate size and layout with adequate space for drying and dressing
  • Clothing hooks and towel rails shall be provided for each of the occupiers

Laundry

Laundry facilities or service shall be provided to all occupants of the Accommodation Facility in the form of Staffed Laundry Facilities or Laundrettes.

Staffed Laundry

If the staff Accommodation Facility is provided with a staffedlaundry service, there is no need to provideadditional laundry facilities. A staffedlaundry service means a service, provided on sitewhich provides laundry facilities that are sufficient and suitable for the occupants where the management is responsible for laundering all staff clothing as part of the employment contract.

Staffed laundry provisions must be provided to all occupants of the Accommodation Facility if laundrettes are not provided.These facilities are to be provided 7 days per week, and operated at least 6 hours a day.

Laundry Facilities

  • Where laundry is not collected from the staff rooms, the laundry facilities shall be not more than 5 minutes walk away from the Accommodation Facility and shall be provided free of charge.
  • Sufficient capacity to launder and dry clothing at a ratio of not less than 5 kg load per employee such that the maximum turnover time is not more than 24 hours. Where commercial and staff laundry facilities are shared, there should be sufficient facilities to maintain this turnover standard for staff laundry regardless of the daily commercial volume.

Backup facility agreements

In the event that laundry services are disrupted, the management shall have backup arrangements to provide laundry facilities for the employees. As a minimum:

  • The management shall have written agreements in place with one or more alternate laundryfacilities, detailing when and how these facilities will process textiles in an emergency
  • The management shall have written agreements in place with one or more alternate transportationproviders detailing the response time and services provided.

Laundrettes

If staffed laundry provision is not provided by the management, occupants must be provided with access to laundrettes. A laundrette means provisions for laundering clothing that is provided either to individual accommodation units or a centralized laundry facility that can be used by occupants of several units simultaneously.

Each laundrette must comply with the followingminimum standards:

  • One automatic washing machinefor not more than 20 persons with drying facilities adequately connected to a constant supply of water, electricity and drainage.
  • Sufficient space with adequate ventilation for each occupant using the laundretteto dry laundry. This space must be a separate area from bedroom and living areas and have appropriate fittings for aeration of laundry where necessary.
  • Unobstructed access to hand/eye washing facilities must be available (requiring no more than 10 seconds to reach in case of an emergency)

Space Cooling and Water Supply

An adequate means of space cooling must be provided in all rooms, includingbathrooms and common parts of the Accommodation Facility taking into account affordability,ease of use and performance. Space cooling means natural or manmade means of cooling which is sufficient to maintain the temperature of a room at a reasonably comfortable level for the occupiers.

Where space cooling and water are provided centrally by the management, theseservices should be made available at all times. There must also be the ability tocontrol the level of cooling within each accommodation unit. Bathrooms, showers and toilets must have sufficient and consistent water pressure.

All Individual accommodation units without exception shall be air-conditioned.

Healthcare Facilities

Employees shall have access toadedicated healthcare facilitycomplying with standards prescribed by the Ministry of Health and Family, and complying with the prevailing healthcare laws and regulations of the country.

The healthcare facility shall be manned at least 8 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, in the event of an emergency, normal working hours shall not apply.

Staff healthcare facilities may be separate or shared with tourist/commercial healthcare facilities on the premises.

Mosque

A mosque shall be provided for Muslim staff on the premises.

The mosque shall allow a minimum of 50% of the Muslim staff living on the premises to use it at a time, the area to be calculated at a minimum of0.5m2 per person.

Each mosque shall be provided with the following:

  • A tiled ablution area adjacent to the mosque, connected to a constant supply of water and drainage, and sheltered from the elements
  • A suitably tiled or carpeted floor covering
  • Suitable roofing and walls finished to an acceptable level of decorative repair and constructed such that all areas of the mosque are sheltered from the elements
  • Sufficient artificial lighting for reading at night
  • Adequate ventilation
  • Minimum one copy of the Holy Quran for every 10 Muslim residents
  • Accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to the Mosque

Convenience Store/Tuck Shop

Where the location of the workplace is isolated, such as on an island of its own, a convenience store with sufficient capacity to cater to the basic needs of the staff population shall be present within 5 minutes walking distance of the Accommodation Facility.