Canterbury Inn receives housekeeping award
Canterbury Inn in Ocean Shores has been recognized with the just-announced 2019 AAA Inspector’s Best of Housekeeping award, granted to AAA inspected and approved hotels throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean for earning the highest possible cleanliness and condition scores.
A hotel’s housekeeping and maintenance attributes are among the most rigorous components analyzed during the on-site evaluation conducted annually by AAA’s professionally trained inspectors. While every hotel must meet expected standards of cleanliness and condition to receive a “Diamond Rating,” hotels awarded the Inspector’s Best of Housekeeping designation significantly surpass expectations, as measured during a comprehensive, on-site inspection. All areas must reflect this very high standard as AAA inspectors review for evidence of dirt, dust, pests, equipment performance and more.
“We are honored to be recognized by AAA for our commitment to housekeeping and maintenance,” said Shannon Rubin, general manager. “At Canterbury Inn, we are committed to exceeding guest expectations and providing superior travel experiences. This award acknowledges the hard work and dedication of our entire staff. Being over 50 years old, we realized that we would never be the newest or trendiest hotel around, so we have strived for excellent service and cleanliness. Receiving this award means a lot to us because it means the staff reached a benchmark that they didn’t initially think was possible.”
Canterbury Inn is part of a select group of hotels in North America. Properties must demonstrate housekeeping excellence for two consecutive inspections and be free of AAA member complaints to meet the criteria for this award, which puts them in the top 25% of all 27,000 AAA inspected and approved hotels.
Business Forum Lunch RSVPs due
The Greater Grays Harbor Inc. Business Forum Lunch will feature representatives from BHP discussing the potential potash export facility, as well as where they are in the process. The event is Tuesday, Sept. 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Rotary Log Pavilion. Lunch will be catered by Aloha Alabama. RSVP’s are required and must be made by Wednesday to Candie Gleason at 360-532-7888 or candie@graysharbor.org
Bob Rockett earns honor
Bob Rockett has been named a member of the Chairman’s Cabinet of New York Life. Members of the group are the top-fifty highest-producing agents among New York Life’s sales force of more than 12,000 licensed agents in sales achievement.
Rockett has been a New York Life in Raymond agent since 1989. He is celebrating 30 years in the business. He has 1,500 clients and manages more $100 million in assets.
L&I extends overtime rules public comment period
Driven by a high level of interest, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries is extending the public comment period on its proposed changes to the state’s overtime rules.
Comments will now be accepted through Friday, Sept. 20. That’s two weeks later than the original Sept. 6 deadline.
In June, L&I proposed an incremental increase in the minimum salary threshold for employees to be considered exempt from overtime. Under current federal guidelines, to be overtime exempt, an employee must perform certain types of managerial duties and be paid a salary of at least $455 a week. That figure would climb under the proposed rule.
Along with the salary threshold, an overtime-exempt employee also must meet a job duties test. L&I’s proposed rules would more closely align the state’s test with federal standards. The proposal covers employees defined as executive, administrative, and professional, as well as outside salespeople, and computer professionals.
This would be the first update of the state rules since 1976.
L&I has already received more than 1,450 comments on the proposal, and took testimony from more than 180 people at seven public hearings held around the state in July and August.
The proposed changes would significantly increase the minimum amount employees must earn before they can be exempt from receiving overtime pay and other protections under the state’s Minimum Wage Act. The proposal would restore overtime eligibility to more than 250,000 employees when fully implemented.
Under the proposed change, beginning July 1, 2020, the state would set the salary threshold at $675 a week for businesses with 1-50 employees, and $945 for businesses with 51 or more employees. By Jan. 1, 2026, the threshold would be set at 2.5 times the state minimum wage, an estimated $1,536 a week for all businesses. After that, the threshold would rise as the minimum wage is adjusted for inflation.
The final decision is expected in early December.
