[Excerpt] In a global era, when branches of multinational franchises are opening in cities around the world, it is vitally important to understand the impact of government policy on the lives of low-income service-sector workers and their families. Social policies directly affect the quality of life and levels of material hardship experienced by working-poor families. The findings of the Global Hotel study reinforce the importance of a multidimensional analysis of equality involving more than income. The findings also contribute to the study of urban poverty.