Three Reasons You Should Hire Security Guards For Your Company Christmas Party

Posted on: 23 October 2017

The holiday season is right around the corner, and chances are good your company is already making plans for an end-of-year celebration for the employees. Although it may seem like an unnecessary step, you should also add security personnel to the list of must-have items for the party, and here are three reasons why.

Enhance Safety and Reduce Liability

The primary reason to hire security staff for your event is to ensure employees remain safe during and after the party. First, security guards can screen guests to make sure only people with the company (and their plus ones) are admitted into the event. This can prevent party crashers from gaining access to your celebration and causing trouble.

Second, the presence of security at the event can reduce the instance of theft, which is doubly important if the party is being held at headquarters. Theft is generally a crime of opportunity, and people are less likely to engage in it if there's a chance they will get caught. So having security guards wandering around can stop people from giving into their base urges. Additionally, the security staff can stop potential information thieves from getting into the parts of the building that are off limits to non-employees, protecting you from corporate espionage or sabotage.

Third, security can help prevent people from drinking and driving, which is critical if you want to avoid getting entangled in a lawsuit. If alcohol is being served at the function, your company could be held liable for any accidents your employees cause by drinking and driving due to vicarious liability and social host laws. The security staff can call cabs for intoxicated guests to ensure they get home safely.

Meet Venue Requirements

Some venues require you to have security on site if you serve alcohol at the event. People can do stupid things when they get drunk. Therefore, the venue where you're having your party may want to reduce the risk of damage to the facility or the company's reputation by ensuring someone will be on the property that can stop intoxicated employees from swinging from the $100,000 chandelier, for instance.

Be sure to ask the event coordinator about this requirement or review your contract. Be aware, if you think you can get around this obligation by simply telling the salesperson you did and conveniently forgetting to do so, most venues verify your claims. If the facility finds out you don't have security, it may either fine you or hire security staff for your event and bill you for the cost. You'll save time and avoid upsetting the event coordinator by following through and hiring security personnel yourself.

Accurately Document Incidents

Sometimes problems occur despite your best effort. In addition to handling these situations and preventing from getting out of hand, security guards can help document the incidents for you and the police. They can provide their own statements about what happened as well as collect other witness statements, take pictures, and preserve evidence.

This can be immeasurably useful if you need to take disciplinary action against an employee for bad behavior during the party or hold someone responsible for damaging property at the venue. It can also help police determine who is criminally liable for the incident, arrest the right person, and provide the prosecutor with the evidence needed to obtain a conviction.

You may trust your employees to be on their best behavior when attending a company party, but anything can happen, especially when alcohol is involved. It's best to be prepared for problems by hiring security personnel who can help keep people safe during the event. To learn more about these issues or to discuss hiring guards for your Christmas party, contact a security company near you.

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