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Protect Your People. Strengthen Your Business. Lead the Industry.

Running a hotel means juggling people, property, and performance. Elevate helps you do it all while staying compliant with Alberta’s Employment Standards, Occupational Health & Safety, and Human Rights legislation. Whether you're a boutique property or a multi-location brand, Elevate is built for you. 

  • Open to AHLA member hotels of all sizes, categories, and locations 
  • Designed for properties with or without dedicated HR teams 
  • Supports progressive improvement at your own pace



What Is Elevate?

The Elevate Hotel HR & Safety Program is Alberta’s integrated HR and safety initiative designed to help hotels meet legal obligations, improve workplace culture, and earn recognition for doing so. 

As the official health & safety association for Alberta hotels and convention centers, AHLA has developed Elevate to support hotels in creating safer, more compliant, and more attractive workplaces. This program builds on the legacy of the Employer of Choice and OHS Certificate of Recognition programs, combining their strengths into a modern, scalable solution.


How Elevate Helps You

  • Compliance Support & Validation Feel confident during inspections and avoid costly fines with training, resources and vetted scorecards. Benchmark your practices against industry-wide standards to gain credibility as a trusted, compliant employer. 


  • Expert Guidance & Consultation Receive friendly, expert feedback from the AHLA’s Safety and Human Resources Advisors to strengthen your practices, clarify legislative requirements, and stand out as a leader in hospitality HR and safety. 


  • Talent & Portfolio Impact Build a culture that attracts and retains top talent while being recognized for putting people first. Ensure consistency across your hotel portfolio and attain recognition to reinforce your reputation for excellence at every location.


How Elevate Works

  • Register to participate. 
  • Explore Elevate resources in TourismWorks. 
  • Create and implement effective policies and procedures. 
  • Complete the Approved Employer Scorecard when ready. 
  • Become recognized as an Approved Employer!


To participate you must be a TourismWorks subscriber. This gives you full access to a comprehensive suite of training and tools designed to help you excel with your hotel HR and safety policies: 

  • Occupational Health & Safety: Safety policies including WHMIS, hazard assessments, emergency planning
  • Employment Standards: Wages, hours, leave, termination compliance
  • Human Rights: Anti-discrimination, fair hiring, harassment prevention 
  • HR Best Practices: Recruitment, onboarding, engagement, benefits 
  • Loss Prevention & Risk Management: Security, data protection, regulatory compliance


Plus, if you need help, our team is just a call or email away ready to assist with policy wording, legislative clarity, and practical advice tailored to your hotel’s needs.

Contact us @ elevate@ahla.ca

The Approved Employer Scorecard is more than just an assessment, it’s a guided tool to help you understand where your hotel stands and where it can grow. Use the carefully designed online scorecard to assess your property’s practices across five key areas:

  • Occupational Health & Safety 
  • Employment Standards 
  • Human Rights 
  • HR Best Practices 
  • Loss Prevention & Risk Management  


This is not a 5-minute checklist. The scorecard is thorough, questions have been reviewed by government officials, and you will be required to upload copies of policies and procedures to validate your responses. You may need details from other members of your team. Use this scorecard to accurately assess your hotel’s policies and procedures.

Whether you meet the criteria on your first attempt or discover areas for improvement, the assessment is a valuable checkpoint.

If you don’t qualify right away, you’re not left behind. Our team is here to help you interpret your results, strengthen your policies, and guide you toward recognition. 

Note: Properties with a valid Certificate of Recognition for their health & safety program may skip certain scorecard questions. 

Elevate offers two levels of annual recognition to showcase your hotel’s commitment to HR and safety excellence: 

  • Approved Employer: Recognition for meeting compliance and foundational HR/safety standards 
  • Elevated Employer: Advanced designation (launching in 2027) for hotels exceeding best practices


Recognition is valid for one year. Recognition is renewed annually, so every year is a fresh opportunity to elevate your standards and showcase your progress. 

To maintain your status as an Approved or Elevated Employer, you’ll need to complete the initial assessment and renewal process annually. This ensures your hotel continues to meet current standards and demonstrates ongoing leadership in workplace safety and HR excellence. 

Recognized hotels receive: 

  • Certificate of achievement 
  • Digital badge and promotional assets 
  • Recognition at AHLA’s Aspire event – plus a discount for Aspire registrations 
  • Priority access to AHLA’s workforce development initiatives

Who can Apply?

To apply, you must be an: 


Ready to Elevate?

Let’s build a stronger, safer, and more respected hotel workplace together, right here in Alberta. If you’re ready to elevate your property, now’s the time to take action and earn recognition as an Approved Employer in 2026.

  • Register now to participate 
  • Explore helpful tools and resources at Tourismworks.ca 
  • Join an upcoming Elevate webinar to learn how the program works. 
  • Use the online Approved Employer scorecard to benchmark your property:
    • The first intake closes November 30, 2025 - Don't miss it! 
    • If your property needs improvement, you can address gaps and resubmit early next year to be recognized at Aspire 2026.



Register Here

We’re here to support your journey. If you have questions or want help getting started, reach out anytime. 

Contact us at elevate@ahla.ca