Are You Hiring Extra Hands For The Summer?; It's imporatnt to think about what hiring more help really means in respect to the Restaurant/Bar Culture

Restaurants to Add 450,000 Summer Jobs, According to National Restaurant Association Projections :: Restaurant News Resource

Link above will direct to the actual article on Restaurant News Resource.

We are the college students, the highschoolers, the part-timers, the multiple job handlers..... We look for new opportunities all the time. So when summer rolls around and our responsibilities that normally carry us year round (school) ceased momentarily, we need you to hire us. Owners will open their doors, their business, their customers, regulars, trust and cash drawers to new employees in hopes that the higher volume of business for the summer months will accommodate these changes. Most businesses have training, workbooks, manuals, and specific staff that they trust to make these new hires good employees, but seasonal employees are not always going to be as trustworthy as your dedicated staff. There are some important steps to be taken when introducing new employees to your business and current staff, an education that is mandatory for them to acquire and maintain. Be sure to hold meetings before the season really kicks into full gear, get your new hires in early to allow them to get used to the environment, do regular follow-ups with your staff to get feedback, increase your communication during this time frame and be present in your establishment more often.

Now, for my insurance opinion; Correctly execute all new hire requirements. If you provide delivery, make sure to add all new drivers to the policy, take them through any loss control procedures along with showing them where all the important logs/manuals are in the building. Keep in mind that instead of facing year end audits on your workers compensation due to unpredictable seasonal payroll fluctuation you can consider switching to a monthly pay as you go program. Do you have EPLI? All business owners should carry this coverage, especially when employing seasonal workers. Anytime that you have employees that are not designated long term, or around the presence of alcohol when working, may be young and not quite yet professional at their position, you run the risk of a claim based on harassment, wrongful termination, discrimination and in some cases wage an hour. Make sure that your policy includes crime as well. Can you instill trust in your new hires right off the bat? Will they even be there long enough for you to ever try to establish that kind of a relationship. Crime/Employee Dishonesty can be a big factor in your business with this seasonal exposure. 

Now look at that number. 450,000 new hires in the restaurant industry. What are the chances that some of these coverages will be called upon to indemnify the insured if one of these claims do arise?