In the lifecycle of a busy pub, you will inevitably have times where you have more customers visiting your venue than usual, whether it is an unexpected sunny day, Bank Holiday weekend, or for a sporting event.
It’s important to be prepared for the behaviours you may have to deal with at these times, and to understand your rights as a staff member but also know how best to support your operator or designated premises supervisor (DPS).
BII has collaborated with their Trusted Partners and Helpline providers, John Gaunt & Partners & Bhayani Law to give you some key guidance in this area.
Get Your Supervisors Involved
It may seem like common sense, but as a staff member, you need to keep your supervisor informed of any situations that arise.
Keeping your supervisor informed not only supports you, should you need an extra hand or to step away, but it is also important should they need to recount any information for legal purposes.
You CAN turn large groups away if you feel you can’t accommodate them.
If you have no table space, your venue is too crowded, or you feel that you can’t look after a large group, then you have the right to refuse them service. You will have occupancy stipulated within your fire risk assessment and you always need to be aware of reservations you may have for later in the day. You also have obligations under Health and Safety legislation to ensure the area occupied by the public is safe. It is best practice to explain the reason for the group being turned away so there is no confusion as to why that decision has been made.
Refusal of service
You are within your rights to refuse service to any individuals who are disruptive, aggressive, or behaving inappropriately. Again, it is important that all staff feel capable and supported to make this decision. If the refusal is related to any individuals that are excessively drunk, it is important that this is recorded.
Bring more staff in for the event and consider having a security presence.
If you are someone that can control the number of staff on a shift at a particular time, try and bring more staff in or events or hire security to help manage the crowds. It isn’t always possible to have more staff on shift, but if you know the pub will be very busy, then do try to ensure you have adequate resource to support you, and your team. Even if you don’t have a regular security presence, consider the event or occasion you are hosting and whether it would be an appropriate step.
Look into Breakaway/De-escalation Training
Training around conflict management and how to deal with tricky situations calmly and professionally is useful. Research courses online or talk to your manager about funding courses for yourself and the team. Diversity and vulnerability training is also highly recommended to ensure you are caring for all your customer demographics.
Keep track of all trainings you undertake. Your supervisor should record all staff training undertaken (including details of course and its objectives) as a useful tool to show the steps being taken by you as an operator to keep you staff and customers safe at your premises. But for yourself, this helps cover yourself for future incidents and use the courses teachings, or enhance your skill set for future job applications or promotions.
Want to find some great de-esculation tips? Check our our blog to make sure you get it right!
Tackle behaviours, not individuals.
When you experience unacceptable behaviours in your venue, remember to address the behaviour itself and NOT the individual or group of individuals involved. When incidents occur, always remain calm and professional and ensure that you are mindful of all of your customers – any action you take should be centred on the unacceptable behaviour they have displayed, and not on who they are.
Document any incidents.
This is a vital step. If you have any incidents, you must document them in writing as soon as possible after the event. When documenting incidents in writing, ensure that all and any staff members involved are also noted down should evidence need to be gathered later. A comprehensive and detailed incident report is a strong and reliable piece of evidence in any potential legal proceedings. As a belts and braces approach you could have more than one member of staff involved to sign the incident report.
If you have CCTV, ensure that you save and keep any footage/recordings you have for at least 6 months following the incident. With everyone having access to smartphones, you need to have proof of anything that has happened, to counteract any potentially edited footage.
Don’t assume that you can delete footage after a week or so, as you may need it in the case of recurring issues or potential legal action.
Establish a good relationship with local law enforcement.
While this is not down to individual staff members, being clued up on your local law enforcement officers as a staff member can help. Additionally, ask your supervisor, if not already, to join your local Pub watch scheme or engage with Best Bar None, who can support you with safer socialising in your local community.
Have good relations and lines of communication with other venues in your immediate area so if trouble starts elsewhere, you are aware and can take appropriate action to avoid it migrating to your venue.
