For many organizations, summer is social season and the perfect time to throw a company-wide party. While we hope summertime means living is easy, it can also bring some unique risks that should be considered when planning your organization’s seasonal celebrations. These six tips can help mitigate common summer party risks to make sure companies and their employees have fun and stay safe:
1. Build in Safeguards for Alcohol Consumption
Alcoholic beverages are often a staple of work-related parties, and companies need to take steps to ensure that employees and guests consume alcohol safely to avoid injury, questionable conduct like harassment and other reckless behavior.
According to Kimberly DeCarrera, fractional general counsel and CFO at Springboard Legal, the easiest option is imposing drink limits or a lower budget instead of offering an open bar or open tab. At a minimum, gatherings should only be held at places where food is also available or can be brought in. Marcus Denning, principal and senior lawyer at MK Law, advised that it is good practice to establish a definite cutoff for the event and bar service and designate an event manager who can keep a close eye on alcohol abuse and intervene before it spirals out of control.
As summer parties are often held off-site, it is also essential to consider how people will get safely to and from the event, especially after drinking. Companies should take the threat of drinking and driving seriously, both for the safety of employees and potential liability considerations if anyone gets into an accident after the party. To mitigate that risk, companies should encourage the use of ride shares, taxis or public transportation options and could consider offering ride share credits to help facilitate safe choices. Organizations could also offer incentives for individuals to volunteer to be designated drivers for other attendees. Depending on the logistics and locations, organizations might also consider providing group transportation like a shuttle bus.
2. Prepare for Summer Weather Risks
An obvious but often overlooked risk of summer parties is the potential health impact of hot weather. Dehydration and overheating can cause headaches, fainting, vomiting and other medical issues, and can escalate into serious cases of heatstroke or sun poisoning. Be sure to provide easily accessible water and other hydrating drinks and encourage employees to seek shade or take breaks in indoor areas, if available.
Limiting the duration of the party, especially if it is outdoors, and not engaging in too much physical activity can also reduce the risk of overheating. To help prevent sunburn and sun rash, consider providing sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher and encouraging attendees to be vigilant about sun protection. People often neglect sun safety when it may not look as sunny, such as cloudy days, early afternoons or in cooler temperatures. Always check the UV index and wear sunscreen if it is above 3 and encourage employees to do the same for both short- and long-term health.
Also consider the risk of summer storms. Pop-up thunderstorms can turn severe in a matter of minutes and bring heavy rain and lightning, all of which can quickly derail an outdoor party. When assessing venue options, consider whether there are indoor areas that will be available in case of inclement weather.
3. Curate a Summer-Ready First Aid Kit
It is always important to make sure there is a first aid kit on hand to treat injuries that might arise. Consider bulking up your standard kit with supplies to address seasonal risks. Outdoor parties can present some additional environmental risks, such as increased potential for slips and falls on wet or uneven surfaces and potentially harmful bug bites and bee stings.
To treat these injuries, the kit should include gauze, bandages, antiseptic spray, pain reliever, bug spray, antihistamines and hydrocortisone cream. Since bee stings can trigger serious allergic reactions, consider inquiring about severe allergies among employees and assess whether you should have EpiPens in your emergency supplies. In case of severe accidents or reactions, establish a protocol for alerting emergency services.
4. Ensure Summer Parties are Inclusive
It is critical to make sure all attendees feel welcome and can safely attend and enjoy the party. For example, if your workforce includes people who have physical limitations, you may need to ensure the venue has accessible entrances, exits and bathroom facilities, that outdoor areas are accessible and navigable, and that there is plenty of seating available. Some attendees may have dietary restrictions, allergies or diets impacted by religious beliefs, so be sure to offer a diverse menu with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options as well as a selection of non-alcoholic beverages.
During the planning stages, consider sending a simple survey to employees so they can discreetly list any accommodation needs or flag major potential issues. The form can ask open-ended questions and provide an opportunity for employees to list needs or problems, or you could use multiple choice questions with prompts like: What dietary restrictions do you have? What group activities would you participate in? What noise/sensory overload accommodations would make you feel comfortable?
5. Plan Work-Appropriate Activities
Party activities are a great way to foster conversation and collaboration that are not work-related. However, it is important to plan activities that are appropriate for an office-sponsored party. Individual or team activities like corn hole, ladder ball, lawn bowling and horseshoes are fun, low-stakes games that people can jump in and out of as they enjoy the party.
Avoid extremely competitive activities or overly physical games as they may lead to injury or exclude some employees. While seasonal, water-based activities like pool parties can get awkward or inappropriate as they require employees to be in various states of undress, so they should be avoided as well.
6. Consider Additional Insurance Coverage
Many of a company’s broader insurance policies should cover most issues that arise around a summer party, but some additional lines can also help fill any gaps for specialized scenarios.
General liability, workers compensation and employment practices liability can protect an organization from third-party claims from event venues or vendors, liability from injuries that occurred during the party, and harassment or discrimination claims from partygoers. These are policies that most organizations already have, risk professionals just need to ensure policies are up-to-date and reflect the current needs of the company.
To cover incidents that other insurance lines do not cover, organizations can purchase special event insurance. Special event policies cover costs like fees incurred from cancellation or postponement due to weather or other factors and host liquor liability.