More than 200 bar managers have had their certificate suspended for drink driving since January 2019, and up to July 1 this year. Photo / Tracy Neal
More than 200 bar managers have had their certificate suspended for drink driving since January 2019, and up to July 1 this year. Photo / Tracy Neal
It was late one night in August 2018 that bar manager Gurmail Singh's driving was a clue that not all was well.
He was seen driving up and over a kerb and then running over a small tree.
Just over a year later he was sentenced in the Manukau District Court for driving while drunk. He was almost four times the legal breath alcohol level.
In February 2020, his bar manager's certificate was suspended – again. The first time was in 2011, also after he was caught drink-driving, but this time the suspension lasted 56 days.
Singh is just one of 202 bar managers to have had their certificate suspended for drink-driving since January 2019.
While the numbers are relatively low given there are currently 36,000 certified managers, the percentage being caught is increasing and police say some of the readings coming back are extremely high – in some cases more than five times the legal limit.
Decisions released by the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority showed that one third of all suspensions since 2019 were for drink-driving offences. Most were for selling alcohol on premises to underage drinkers, plus a smaller number for violence and dishonesty offences.
In the first half of 2019, 18.5 per cent of all bar managers suspended had been caught drink-driving. For the first six months of this year, that had jumped to 34 per cent.
The reasons for the increase aren't clear, but one hospitality business owner says the mental health of staff and managers in the sector has been severely tested in recent times.
Nick Widley, who owns and operates a cocktail and whisky bar and a restaurant and bar in central Nelson, says alcohol is sometimes used to self-soothe. Although he has not experienced the problem with his own staff, he says maybe the increase in drink driving is linked.
"There are many different types of mental health challenges faced by those working in the hospitality industry, and alcohol is an easy, accessible … pacifier, I suppose."
While it is true that staff shortages afflicting the sector have generated major challenges, Widley does not think it is linked to alcohol harm and the drink-drive trend.
"Yes, it's got to the point we are training up anyone in the business as a duty manager if we feel they can do it. We can no longer pick or choose the cream of the crop when our borders were open, and we had internationally experienced Michelin-trained staff here.
"I don't see how staff shortages can lead to alcohol harm though. Upskilling our staff goes a long way to us preventing incidents."
Widley says it isn't clear from the data if bar managers had been drinking while off work, or whether they'd stayed on to enjoy a drink in the bar before heading home.
"There were a lot of people in hospitality over this time who spent a lot of time not working. Maybe these incidents happened when they were bored and had nothing to do."
The head of the union representing hospitality workers says it isn't something that has yet reached their radar, but the huge cultural shift within the sector led by mass redundancies and now staff shortages could be a factor.
Unite Union national secretary John Crocker says Unite tended to deal with the larger employers such as hotels, casinos and cinemas, which seemed to take alcohol harm reasonably seriously.
"Major employers did not allow 'staffies' or drinking on shift," Cocker said. But speaking to a member from outside the major employers, he said some smaller employers were "looser" with alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm.
"There has also been a cultural shift in hospitality recently. Many people have left the sector, including through large-scale redundancies in 2020, and while employers are struggling to find staff, there may have been a drop in the quality of applicants for bar managers certificates."
Bar owner Nick Widley says stress on hospitality workers leading to poorer mental health could be a factor in the drink-drive statistics. Photo / Tracy Neal
A police spokesperson says some of the recent cases seen are up to more than five times the legal limit.
In March this year, Gisborne bar manager Franscine Simpson was stopped by police while driving and blew a reading of 1204 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. The legal limit for a person over 20 years is 250 mcg.
She was convicted the following month and her manager's certificate was suspended for 28 days, until July 24 this year.
In November 2020, Chhring Puti Sherpa was caught driving with 165mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood – the legal blood/alcohol limit is 50mg. She was convicted, fined and disqualified from driving for seven months in April 2021.
It wasn't until May this year that her manager's certificate was suspended, upon application by the police.
The police say that any duty manager convicted on a drink-drive charge is referred to the Alcohol Regulatory Licensing Authority for consideration of suspension or cancellation of their manager's certificate.
"Duty managers are critical for ensuring the safe and responsible consumption of alcohol, and for ensuring licensed premises operate in accordance with the Act and the premises licence conditions.
"As such, duty managers are held to a high standard of behaviour, both on and off duty," a police spokesperson told Open Justice.
The licensing authority said in one of its hundreds of decisions that managers who broke the law on drinking and driving, must expect their certificates to be suspended.
The Restaurant NZ Bar Managers Guide shows there are hefty rules around the operation of licensed premises, including that they must provide good information about transport options for customers.
But there is little literature anywhere on the consequences for bar managers who drink and drive.
Hospitality NZ says it's set to launch a Responsible Service of Alcohol Standards training programme for members. Photo / 123RF
Hospitality New Zealand advocates for its members on a list of policy matters. Apart from things like immigration, wages and workplace matters, there is a focus on harm minimisation in the gambling space, with the potential for government funding for more industry training.
But there is little reference to alcohol, other than the organisation's aim to address matters within Local Alcohol Policies (drafted by councils, which are among a list of authorities with oversight of licensed premises).
A Hospitality NZ spokesperson says it will be announcing a Responsible Service of Alcohol Standards training programme for members at an upcoming conference.
Nick Widley is aware that the training programme has been in the pipeline for a long time. He says it was developed to also recognise and support mental health challenges in the sector, but at the end of the day, it was also up to staff to front up to these challenges.
"You can only lead a horse to water … We are putting on seminars and events for people in the sector, but they need to come and yes, employers need to encourage staff to take part."
If you're wanting help, contact: Alcohol Drug Helpline – 0800 787 797 or text 8681 for support around alcohol and drugs, a free and confidential chat with a trained counsellor, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
