A national hotel chain is reminding houseguests of the so-called "invisible worker" in the hospitality industry -- the maid.
Marriott is launching a new nationwide program to let customers know housekeepers should be tipped.
KIRO-TV spoke with a worker at a Seattle Mariott and said he hadn't heard about the plan.
But the hotel chain has posted a photo of the envelope they're going to be leaving in rooms to encourage guests to pay anywhere from $1 to $5 per night for the person who cleans your room, replenishes the soap and shampoo and turns down your bed in the evening.
According to statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor, hotel housekeepers make and average of $9.51 an hour.
In Seattle, that may be closer to $12 an hour, according to some online salary data sites.
The idea for the new tipping program by Marriott was suggested by Maria Shriver, who has been a voice for women in the workplace since she was First Lady of California.
She said just because guests often don't see the housekeepers, who are mostly women, doesn't mean they should go without extra compensation for their work.
Marriott said 70 percent of guests already tip hotel housekeepers, but the hotel thinks leaving the envelope in the rooms will make it easier for those guests and educate those who don’t leave tips that they should consider doing so.
