That time is upon us again. The chill is in the air, the goblins are going to be hitting the street looking for candy soon. Then come the Thanksgiving parties and before you know it Christmas will be here.
If you haven’t already booked your location for your Employer-Sponsored Holiday party you should be doing that shortly. Holiday parties are a great way to thank all of your hard working staff, vendors, and everyone else you depend on for all they have done for your business throughout the year. What better way to say thank you than with a great party; with music, food, entertainment and of course alcohol…
Alcohol gets everyone relaxed (or rowdy) and having a good time.
It seems like a given to have alcohol at every party, and we certainly aren’t going to tell you to give it up, but are you thinking about the liability when you’re planning? What happens if someone leaves the party after over indulging? What happens if they are in an accident? Who is at fault?
While common sense would say that every individual is responsible for one’s self, the law doesn’t see things the same way. Party planners should keep these tips in mind when planning parties that will have alcohol:
- Hire the help – Pay the bartender. A properly trained bartender will likely not serve someone that has had too much to drink.
- Provide a ride – Have taxi’s standing by or Uber a ride for them. Providing a safe ride home for someone that has had one too many is sure to get them home safe.
- Have a cash bar – provide each person at the party with drink tickets. Limit the amount of tickets per person. After the tickets are used they can then pay for their drinks. This will hopefully limit them on how much they drink.
- Share the love – Invite your employees to bring a guest. The employee’s guest can be their designated driver, or at least help them to recognize when they have hit their limit.
- No requirement – Do not require that employees attend. Let the employees know that there is no “Business Requirement” to attend.
- Proper License for the venue – Make sure that the vendors and venue that you choose are properly licensed and insured.
These are just some simple tips to reduce your liability. All of these might not completely absolve you and your company from all liability but they sure will show you care and you did what you could to prevent potential unfortunate events.