A standard liquor liability exclusion requires the insured to be in the business of manufacturing, distributing, selling, or serving alcoholic beverages. (Photo: iStock) Employees relaxing with a few beers at work after a long day may be exposing the employer to host liability issues. (Photo: iStock)

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In high-pressure work environments, for example, places where people work on commission, it's not unusual for employees to relax after work with adult beverages. But when the liquor is purchased at the direction of a manager and consumed on the employer's premises, does that after-work gathering become an employer "function" for purposes of "host liquor liability"? What coverage comes into play when one employee is struck by a car driven by another employee as she's leaving work?

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Steven A. Meyerowitz

Steven A. Meyerowitz, a Harvard Law School graduate, is the founder and president of Meyerowitz Communications Inc., a law firm marketing communications consulting company. He may be contacted at [email protected].