Your employees have been working hard and hitting all their goals, or perhaps you’re hoping to encourage them to push just a bit harder during this next quarter. If you want to raise morale and improve company culture, a corporate outing may just be the trick.
Keeping employees happy is an essential component of running an excellent business, and it couldn’t be easier in a place like Chicago, which is full of great recreational activities and fun experiences you can enjoy with your team. However, you may open yourself up to liabilities should something go awry during one of these excursions.
For example, if a partner in your business has a private vessel and agrees to take everyone out onto Lake Michigan, an accident could lead to a call from a Chicago boat accident attorney, seeking to recover damages for their client. Depending on your company’s legal status, paying for the aftermath of this disaster could bankrupt you. Suddenly, what was meant to be a bonding experience has led to irreparable damages for nearly everyone involved.
How do you protect your company and still foster relationships with employees? Let’s discuss three ways you can ensure that accidents during excursions won’t lead to serious consequences for you and your team.
Obtain Liability Insurance
One of the best things you can do overall is to get the appropriate liability insurance for your company that will cover activities that occur during the course of work-related functions, including out-of-office trips. Speak to your corporate insurance agent before planning events to ensure that your event will be covered and that you don’t need to purchase a larger policy.
Use Corporate Event Planners
It can be very tempting to just wing it and assume that there will be no negative consequences involved with an outing, but you may find yourself in serious trouble if you did not think through all the potential liabilities. Corporate event planners are familiar with the legal aspects of corporate events and will be able to get you in touch with licensed, insured vendors who will reduce your risk.
For example, if you want to take your employees on a river cruise or bus tour as thanks for their work, the event planners can check the qualifications of the operators in addition to handling costs and logistics. It’s always best to go with professionals in this circumstance, as event planners will advise you because it lessens the risk of a lawsuit as opposed to if you use a personal boat or bus.
Conduct Risk Assessments
Before the activity starts, work with your event planner to ascertain any possible hazards and workshop solutions. Visit the facility where the event will be taking place and ask questions about their insurance status, potential dangers, and what they suggest to mitigate risks to participants. Read and disseminate materials about emergency situations, and always ask your event planner and the vendor should you have any questions.
Have Participants Sign Waivers and Consent Forms
While the rewards of extreme team-building activities like skydiving or rock climbing can be enormous in terms of trust, problem-solving, and overall camaraderie, they are also incredibly dangerous for your company. It’s essential that everyone involved has a clear understanding of the risks of the activity and provides full informed consent, as well as a waiver protecting you from liability.
Be sure that all participants receive the proper training on safety procedures from qualified instructors and that they affirm, verbally and in writing, that you will not be held responsible should an accident occur.
Assign Supervisors to Monitor the Activity
While everyone wants to relax and unwind, you should still ensure that at least one person is watching out and acting responsibly in order to identify any safety concerns and rectify them before an accident happens. Entrust one or two members of your leadership team as designated supervisors, who can monitor and react to any brewing issues.
Make sure that they do not drink or take any intoxicating substances throughout the duration of the event, even if alcohol is on hand, and that they report back to you the instant that they see a problem.
Limit Alcohol Usage and Have Transportation Options
Even if you’re just taking your team out for a round of drinks, make sure that no one drinks to excess or drives while under the influence. While you don’t need to pay for everyone’s cab fare home if they get tipsy, be sure that anyone who drinks has a plan to get home safely, whether that is having a friend come get them or taking an Uber. Plan to be the last one out so that you know all your employees got into a safe transit option.
Final Thoughts
There are numerous benefits to spending time together with your employees outside of structured work: you get to know them on a personal level and can learn what drives them, as well as develop a better appreciation for their skills and needs through these lower-stakes, more unfocused conversations.
However, there are also risks involved both to you and your business any time that you plan a corporate outing. Work with professionals, perform your own risk assessments, and make a safety plan by providing additional oversight beyond what is available from the vendor. This way, you can make sure everyone comes away from the team-building exercise happy and healthy – and ready to get some work done.
