Compliance Management for Pubs & Bars
From cellar temperatures to licensing compliance, keep your pub running smoothly with digital checklists designed for hospitality.
The Challenge
Pubs and bars operate under intense licensing scrutiny where a single compliance failure can trigger a licence review or revocation. Between Challenge 25 age verification, personal licence holder requirements, cellar management, CCTV obligations, and door staff SIA licensing, there are dozens of conditions to track - often with part-time staff who work irregular hours. Paper-based refusal logs go missing, line cleaning gets skipped during busy periods, and licensing officers arrive unannounced expecting instant access to comprehensive records.
How Assistant Manager Solves Pubs & Bars Compliance
Each module is designed to address the specific challenges pubs & bars businesses face every day.
Checklist Management
Pubs need checklists that work across cellar, bar, kitchen, and outdoor areas - with different frequencies for different tasks and evidence that satisfies both brewery audits and licensing inspections
The Problems
Why This Matters for Pubs & Bars
- Line cleaning schedules get skipped during busy weekends when staff are stretched, then recorded as completed anyway to avoid management questions
Beer quality deteriorates, customers complain about off-tasting pints, and you're pouring money down the drain with returns and wastage
- Opening and closing checks are inconsistent between different shift managers, with some skipping steps they consider unnecessary
Critical safety checks get missed - fire exits blocked by deliveries, cellar gas systems not verified, CCTV not confirmed as recording
- Glass collection rounds become sporadic during busy trading periods, leading to dangerous glass accumulation on tables and floors
Customers and staff suffer glass injuries, breakages increase, and the venue looks poorly managed - all factors that licensing officers note
The Solution
How Checklist Management Helps
Digital checklists with scheduled reminders, photo verification requirements, and real-time alerts when tasks are overdue or incomplete
Every line clean is verified with photos, opening checks are completed consistently regardless of which manager is on duty, and glass collection rounds are tracked with timestamps that prove your operating standards
Use Cases:
- • Beer line cleaning verification with photo evidence
- • Cellar temperature and gas safety checks
- • Opening procedures including CCTV verification
- • Scheduled glass collection rounds with timestamps
- • Kitchen HACCP and food safety checks
- • Outdoor area safety inspections
- • Till reconciliation and closing procedures
Feature Screenshot
Checklist Management
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Line cleaning schedules get skipped during busy weekends when staff are stretched, then recorded as completed anyway to avoid management questions
Real Scenario
"A mystery shopper reports that the cask ale tastes vinegary. Investigation reveals line cleaning was marked as done on Wednesday but the cleaning fluid container hasn't been opened in two weeks. The cellar log shows 'completed' for every scheduled clean."
Example 2: Opening and closing checks are inconsistent between different shift managers, with some skipping steps they consider unnecessary
Real Scenario
"During a licensing visit, officers check the CCTV and discover it stopped recording three days ago when the hard drive filled up. The opening checklist for each day shows 'CCTV checked' but nobody actually verified it was recording, just that the monitors were on."
Example 3: Glass collection rounds become sporadic during busy trading periods, leading to dangerous glass accumulation on tables and floors
Real Scenario
"A customer steps on broken glass near the dance floor and requires hospital treatment. The incident log shows no glass collection rounds were documented for the two hours before the injury, despite being required every 30 minutes under your operating procedures."
Employee Scheduling
Pubs need to schedule personal licence holders during all trading hours, ensure SIA-licensed door staff at required times, and maintain food hygiene certified kitchen coverage - all while managing a largely part-time workforce
The Problems
Why This Matters for Pubs & Bars
- Shifts get filled based on availability without checking if staff have completed mandatory licensing training or hold personal licences when required
Unqualified staff are left in charge of alcohol sales, creating a licensing offence that could trigger a licence review
- Door staff scheduling relies on agency contacts without systematically verifying current SIA licence validity
Unlicensed door staff work your venue, creating criminal liability for the premises and potential licence revocation
- Part-time and casual staff make scheduling chaotic, with last-minute changes leaving gaps that compromise service and compliance
Critical roles go unfilled, remaining staff are stretched beyond safe limits, and compliance tasks are deprioritised in favour of serving customers
The Solution
How Employee Scheduling Helps
Intelligent scheduling that integrates with training records to verify staff hold required qualifications before shifts are confirmed, with SIA licence expiry tracking for door staff
Only licensed and trained staff are scheduled for regulated roles, SIA checks are automated, and managers can instantly see who is qualified to cover when problems arise
Use Cases:
- • Personal licence holder coverage verification
- • SIA door staff licence tracking and scheduling
- • Food hygiene certified kitchen staff scheduling
- • First aider presence requirements
- • DPS absence cover planning
- • Part-time and casual staff availability management
- • Bank holiday and event staffing coordination
Feature Screenshot
Employee Scheduling
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Shifts get filled based on availability without checking if staff have completed mandatory licensing training or hold personal licences when required
Real Scenario
"The DPS calls in sick on a Saturday night. The manager schedules a supervisor to cover, not realising their personal licence lapsed three months ago. A licensing officer visits and finds no personal licence holder on the premises during trading hours."
Example 2: Door staff scheduling relies on agency contacts without systematically verifying current SIA licence validity
Real Scenario
"Police conduct an SIA spot check and find one of your door team has an expired licence - it lapsed two weeks ago but nobody checked. The licensing committee is notified, triggering a formal review hearing."
Example 3: Part-time and casual staff make scheduling chaotic, with last-minute changes leaving gaps that compromise service and compliance
Real Scenario
"Three staff call in sick on a bank holiday. The frantic scramble to find cover means the kitchen ends up with one person who does not have their food hygiene certificate - discovered when EHO visits the following week."
Time & Attendance
Pubs have irregular trading patterns with late nights, early starts, split shifts, and seasonal variation - all requiring careful working time management that paper systems cannot provide
The Problems
Why This Matters for Pubs & Bars
- Staff regularly work beyond their scheduled hours during busy periods, with actual hours worked poorly tracked against rotas
Working Time Regulations are breached without management awareness, creating legal liability and fatigued staff who make mistakes
- Break compliance is impossible to verify - staff say they took breaks but there are no records, and during busy periods breaks often get skipped entirely
Staff bring employment claims for denied breaks, and fatigued staff provide poor customer service and make more errors
- Door staff hours are tracked on paper sign-in sheets that are easily falsified and difficult to verify when disputes arise
Disputes over door staff hours lead to payment conflicts with agencies, and you cannot prove who was actually on duty at any given time
The Solution
How Time & Attendance Helps
Digital clock-in/out with break tracking, automatic Working Time Regulations compliance monitoring, and timestamped attendance records that show exactly who was on duty when
Hours worked are tracked accurately against regulations, break compliance is documented, and you can instantly prove exactly who was working at any point in time
Use Cases:
- • Shift clock-in/out with timestamp verification
- • Break recording and compliance documentation
- • Door staff attendance with SIA number logging
- • Working Time Regulations violation alerts
- • Overtime tracking and authorisation
- • Late night working compliance monitoring
- • Agency staff hour verification
Feature Screenshot
Time & Attendance
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Staff regularly work beyond their scheduled hours during busy periods, with actual hours worked poorly tracked against rotas
Real Scenario
"A barman works 14 consecutive days covering for sick colleagues, regularly doing 11-hour shifts. He collapses from exhaustion during a shift. Investigation reveals no system flagged the Working Time Regulations breach that was obvious from the hours worked."
Example 2: Break compliance is impossible to verify - staff say they took breaks but there are no records, and during busy periods breaks often get skipped entirely
Real Scenario
"A former employee claims she was regularly denied breaks during her 10-hour shifts. The pub has signed timesheets but no break records. Unable to prove breaks were taken, they settle the claim for several thousand pounds."
Example 3: Door staff hours are tracked on paper sign-in sheets that are easily falsified and difficult to verify when disputes arise
Real Scenario
"Following an incident, police ask who was on the door at 11:47pm. The paper sign-in sheet shows four names but there is no way to verify who was actually present at that specific time. CCTV shows only two door staff were visible."
Training & Development
Pubs need licensing-specific training (Challenge 25, Licensing Act, licence conditions) alongside general hospitality training (food hygiene, fire safety) - all tracked for a workforce that turns over frequently
The Problems
Why This Matters for Pubs & Bars
- Challenge 25 training is delivered verbally on a new starter's first shift, with no verification they understood it or evidence it happened
Staff fail test purchases, underage sales occur, and when licensing officers ask for training evidence you have nothing to show them
- Personal licence holder qualifications expire without systematic tracking, leaving pubs without a valid licence holder during trading
Trading without a personal licence holder present is a licensing offence that can trigger immediate enforcement action
- Staff knowledge of the Licensing Act 2003 and premises licence conditions is inconsistent - they know how to serve drinks but not the legal framework
Staff unknowingly breach licence conditions around permitted hours, capacities, or sales restrictions because nobody taught them what the rules actually are
The Solution
How Training & Development Helps
Digital training platform with licensing-specific courses, Challenge 25 modules with competency testing, and automatic expiry tracking for all certifications including personal licences
Every staff member completes verified training before serving, personal licence renewals are never missed, and you have complete evidence of staff competency for any licensing inspection
Use Cases:
- • Challenge 25 age verification training with assessment
- • Licensing Act 2003 awareness training
- • Personal licence qualification tracking and renewal alerts
- • Premises licence conditions training
- • Level 2 Food Hygiene for kitchen staff
- • Cellar management and beer quality training
- • Fire safety and evacuation procedures
- • Conflict management and refusal skills
Feature Screenshot
Training & Development
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Challenge 25 training is delivered verbally on a new starter's first shift, with no verification they understood it or evidence it happened
Real Scenario
"A 16-year-old successfully buys alcohol at your pub in a test purchase operation. When asked about Challenge 25 training, the staff member says they were 'told about it' on their first day but admits they did not really understand what ID to accept. You have no training records to show what was actually covered."
Example 2: Personal licence holder qualifications expire without systematic tracking, leaving pubs without a valid licence holder during trading
Real Scenario
"Your only personal licence holder's qualification expired six months ago. Nobody noticed because the certificate just sat in a drawer. A licensing visit discovers the lapse, and the premises has technically been trading illegally for half a year."
Example 3: Staff knowledge of the Licensing Act 2003 and premises licence conditions is inconsistent - they know how to serve drinks but not the legal framework
Real Scenario
"A staff member serves alcohol at 11:45pm when your licence requires last orders at 11:30pm. They genuinely did not know the rule - they assumed closing time meant stop serving. The customer is a licensing officer conducting a test."
HR Management
Pubs employ staff across multiple roles requiring different documentation - bar staff need training records, kitchen staff need food hygiene certificates, door staff need SIA licences - all needing instant verification for compliance inspections
The Problems
Why This Matters for Pubs & Bars
- Staff files are scattered across paper folders, email attachments, and manager's desks - finding a specific document takes hours
When licensing officers ask to see personal licence certificates or SIA badges, you cannot locate them quickly enough to satisfy the inspection
- Right to work checks are completed at hiring but documents are not retained securely or kept accessible for re-verification
Home Office enforcement visits find you cannot demonstrate right to work compliance, resulting in civil penalties of up to £20,000 per illegal worker
- Door staff SIA licence copies are held by the security company or agency, leaving the pub unable to verify licence validity independently
When police or licensing officers check door staff, you cannot demonstrate you verified they were licensed - the responsibility sits with you, not the agency
The Solution
How HR Management Helps
Centralised digital HR records with secure document storage, expiry tracking for licences and certifications, and instant access to any staff record from any device
Every personal licence, SIA badge, right to work document, and training certificate is stored digitally, accessible instantly, and tracked for expiry before deadlines pass
Use Cases:
- • Personal licence holder records and expiry tracking
- • SIA licence verification and storage for door staff
- • Right to work document retention and audit trails
- • DPS documentation and emergency contact details
- • Staff photo ID for licensing inspection verification
- • Contract and employment document storage
- • Training certificate digital archive
Feature Screenshot
HR Management
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Staff files are scattered across paper folders, email attachments, and manager's desks - finding a specific document takes hours
Real Scenario
"A licensing officer asks to see the personal licence for your duty manager. You know they have one, but the certificate is 'somewhere in the office.' After 20 minutes of searching, you still cannot find it. The officer notes 'unable to verify personal licence holder status' in their report."
Example 2: Right to work checks are completed at hiring but documents are not retained securely or kept accessible for re-verification
Real Scenario
"Immigration officers conduct a workplace visit. You checked right to work documents when staff were hired, but you cannot locate the copies. For two staff members, you have no evidence of any check at all. Each attracts a potential £20,000 civil penalty."
Example 3: Door staff SIA licence copies are held by the security company or agency, leaving the pub unable to verify licence validity independently
Real Scenario
"Police find an unlicensed door supervisor at your venue. The agency says they checked, but you have no evidence of your own due diligence. The licensing committee views this as a failure of management oversight, regardless of agency responsibility."
Risk Assessment
Pubs face unique combinations of hazards - cellar gas and manual handling, violence and disorder, glass injuries, late-night lone working - that require specific assessment beyond generic hospitality templates
The Problems
Why This Matters for Pubs & Bars
- Risk assessments were written when the pub opened and have not been updated despite changes to layout, entertainment offerings, and operating patterns
Current hazards are not identified or controlled, and when incidents occur your defence collapses because the risk assessment does not reflect actual operations
- Cellar hazards are underestimated - heavy keg handling, gas systems, wet floors, and confined spaces create serious risks that generic assessments miss
Cellar injuries are common in pubs but often unreported until a serious incident triggers HSE investigation of your risk controls
- Violence and aggression risk assessments are basic tick-box documents that do not reflect the actual risks staff face on weekend nights
When staff are assaulted, you cannot demonstrate you identified the specific risks they faced or implemented appropriate controls
The Solution
How Risk Assessment Helps
Comprehensive risk assessment system with pub-specific hazard identification, AI-suggested controls for licensed premises risks, and automatic review triggers when operations change
Every aspect of your operation has a current, specific risk assessment - from cellar work to violence prevention - with controls that reflect how you actually operate, not generic templates
Use Cases:
- • Cellar work risk assessment (gas, manual handling, slips)
- • Violence and aggression risk assessment for late-night trading
- • Glass collection and breakage hazard assessment
- • Beer garden and outdoor area safety assessment
- • Live entertainment and event-specific assessments
- • Kitchen hazard assessments for food service
- • Lone working risk assessment for opening/closing
Feature Screenshot
Risk Assessment
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Risk assessments were written when the pub opened and have not been updated despite changes to layout, entertainment offerings, and operating patterns
Real Scenario
"You started hosting live music nights two years ago. A speaker stack falls and injures a customer. Your risk assessment still describes the venue as 'background music only' with no assessment of stage equipment, crowd management, or entertainment-related hazards."
Example 2: Cellar hazards are underestimated - heavy keg handling, gas systems, wet floors, and confined spaces create serious risks that generic assessments miss
Real Scenario
"A cellar worker is found unconscious from CO2 exposure in a poorly ventilated cellar. HSE investigation reveals the risk assessment mentions 'gas cylinders' but has no specific controls for CO2 monitoring, ventilation requirements, or lone working in the cellar."
Example 3: Violence and aggression risk assessments are basic tick-box documents that do not reflect the actual risks staff face on weekend nights
Real Scenario
"A bar staff member is seriously assaulted by a customer at closing time. Your violence risk assessment is a generic template mentioning 'customer aggression' but has no specific analysis of closing time flashpoints, staffing levels, or de-escalation procedures."
Incident Reporting
Pubs deal with a wide range of incidents - from refusals and ejections to assaults and injuries - each requiring appropriate documentation that licensing authorities, police, and insurers will scrutinise
The Problems
Why This Matters for Pubs & Bars
- Incidents are recorded in the duty manager's log in brief, inconsistent notes that lack the detail needed for investigations or insurance claims
When police request incident details or insurers investigate claims, you cannot provide the comprehensive information required
- Refusal logs for Challenge 25 are kept on paper at the bar, get wet, torn, and frequently go missing before they can be filed properly
When licensing officers request refusal logs as evidence of responsible sales, you cannot produce complete, legible records
- CCTV footage is overwritten before incidents are properly documented, losing critical evidence of what actually happened
Police, insurers, and licensing authorities cannot access footage of incidents, damaging prosecution cases and your ability to defend against claims
The Solution
How Incident Reporting Helps
Digital incident reporting with structured forms, photo and document attachment, CCTV retention flagging, and secure storage that meets licensing authority and police requirements
Every incident is documented thoroughly at the time it happens, CCTV is flagged for retention immediately, and complete records are available for any investigation months or years later
Use Cases:
- • Challenge 25 refusal logging with ID type and outcome
- • Ejection documentation with reason and staff involved
- • Violence and assault incident reports with witness details
- • Customer injury documentation with photos and first aid records
- • Glass breakage and injury logging
- • CCTV footage retention flagging for incidents
- • Door staff incident reports with SIA number recording
Feature Screenshot
Incident Reporting
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Incidents are recorded in the duty manager's log in brief, inconsistent notes that lack the detail needed for investigations or insurance claims
Real Scenario
"A serious assault occurs outside your venue. Police request full incident details a week later. Your log says 'Fight outside, door staff dealt with it.' There are no witness details, no timeline, no description of what 'dealt with' means, and no photos of the scene."
Example 2: Refusal logs for Challenge 25 are kept on paper at the bar, get wet, torn, and frequently go missing before they can be filed properly
Real Scenario
"A licensing review examines your Challenge 25 compliance. You produce six months of refusal logs, but three months have water damage making them illegible, one month is missing entirely, and entries are in different formats with inconsistent information. The committee questions whether refusals are actually happening."
Example 3: CCTV footage is overwritten before incidents are properly documented, losing critical evidence of what actually happened
Real Scenario
"A customer claims they were assaulted by door staff three weeks ago. Your CCTV overwrites after 14 days and nobody marked the footage for retention when the incident occurred. You cannot prove what actually happened, and the claim proceeds without your evidence."
COSHH Management
Pubs use a range of specialist chemicals - line cleaners, cellar sanitisers, glass wash products, kitchen degreasers - often handled by staff with minimal training who need clear, accessible safety information at point of use
The Problems
Why This Matters for Pubs & Bars
- Line cleaning chemicals are used by bar staff who have no idea what the products contain or what safety precautions are required
Staff suffer chemical burns or respiratory irritation from improper handling, and you cannot prove they were trained on safe use
- Cellar cleaning products and kitchen chemicals are stored together in cramped spaces without consideration for incompatible substances
Reactive chemicals are stored together, creating risk of dangerous reactions, and HSE inspection finds multiple COSHH violations
- When cleaning products change or new chemicals are introduced, nobody updates the COSHH assessments - staff just use what arrives
COSHH documentation does not match actual products in use, making it worthless for safety purposes and useless for proving compliance
The Solution
How COSHH Management Helps
Digital COSHH management with AI-assisted product identification, automatic safety data sheet retrieval, storage compatibility guidance, and review alerts when products change
Every chemical in your venue has a current assessment, staff can instantly see what PPE is required, storage guidance prevents dangerous combinations, and assessments update automatically when suppliers change
Use Cases:
- • Beer line cleaning chemical assessments
- • Cellar sanitiser and cleaner documentation
- • Glass wash and bar cleaning product assessments
- • Kitchen degreaser and oven cleaner safety records
- • Drain cleaner hazard documentation
- • Chemical storage compatibility guidance
- • PPE requirements by product with staff training
Feature Screenshot
COSHH Management
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Line cleaning chemicals are used by bar staff who have no idea what the products contain or what safety precautions are required
Real Scenario
"A bar staff member gets line cleaning chemical in their eye because they were not wearing the eye protection they did not know was required. The product safety data sheet requires eye protection, but nobody had seen it or explained the requirements."
Example 2: Cellar cleaning products and kitchen chemicals are stored together in cramped spaces without consideration for incompatible substances
Real Scenario
"An HSE inspector finds bleach stored next to acid-based descaler in your cellar cleaning cupboard. If mixed, these produce chlorine gas. Your COSHH assessments exist but do not cover storage incompatibilities - they just list individual products."
Example 3: When cleaning products change or new chemicals are introduced, nobody updates the COSHH assessments - staff just use what arrives
Real Scenario
"Your cellar cleaning supplier changed six months ago. The new products have different hazard classifications requiring different PPE. Your COSHH folder still documents the old products. A staff member uses the new oven cleaner without gloves and suffers chemical burns."
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