Workplace Polices & Code of Conduct

Geeks Who Drink, LLC  considers periods of inactivity - i.e. no paid hosting or training shifts - of 60 days or longer cause for voluntary termination, especially if an employee is unresponsive to communication from Geeks Who Drink management. The primary means of communication from Geeks Who Drink to its employees is via email. Employees are responsible for ensuring that their email address, primary phone number, and address are up-to-date with Geeks Who Drink. Employees can always reach the Geeks Who Drink management team at qmsupport@geekswhodrink.com. 

If the bar staff or patrons are making you uncomfortable:

Everyone's tolerance for questionable heckling and harassment is different. Hopefully, you have developed a good relationship with at least one person at your venue. If a patron is making you uncomfortable, go ahead and bring it up to the venue - 999/1000 times they will have your back, and will deal with the offending customer themselves. If the issue is with the venue staff or management itself, please report it to your Regional Manager. Their job is to be the mediator between you and the venue, and they will work with the venue to come to a solution. 

If you have a less pressing question, like how to deal with a heckler who isn't overly offensive but just generally annoying, feel free to crowdsource opinions from our Facebook group. However, this is not an official means to report issues; those should be brought directly to your manager.

Perceived Physical Threat:

It’s incredibly rare, but if you run into a situation where you are physically threatened, report to the Manager On Duty at your venue. 999/1000 times the bar has your back, and they just need a reason to toss the jerk. If the MOD does nothing to de-escalate the issue and you are still in immediate physical danger, the quiz is over. Pack up, notify the bar staff and leave. Immediately notify qmsupport@geekswhodrink.com. We will follow up with the bar.

Injury: 

It's also incredibly rare, but if you are seriously injured during a quiz at one of our venues or at a private event, please go to the emergency room. Contact qmsupport@geekswhodrink.com as soon as you're well enough to let them know what's up.

Geeks who Drink LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We do not tolerate discrimination against protected characteristics (e.g. gender, age, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, disability, veteran status). We require all employees to treat others with respect and professionalism.

Sexual and other unlawful harassment is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), as amended, as well as many state laws. Harassment based on a characteristic protected by law, such as race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or other characteristic protected by state or federal law, is prohibited.

It is Geeks Who Drink’s policy to provide an environment free of sexual and other forms of harassment. To that end, harassment of Geeks Who Drink’s employees by management, supervisors, coworkers, venue employees or non-employees is absolutely prohibited whether it occurs at the workplace or outside of it. Further, any retaliation against an individual who has complained about sexual or other harassment or retaliation against individuals for cooperating with an investigation of a harassment complaint is similarly unlawful and will not be tolerated. Geeks Who Drink will take all steps necessary to prevent and eliminate unlawful harassment.

Definition of Unlawful Harassment. 

“Unlawful harassment” is conduct that has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment; has the purpose or effect of substantially and unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance; or otherwise adversely affects an individual’s employment opportunities because of the individual’s membership in a protected class.

Unlawful harassment includes, but is not limited to, epithets; slurs; jokes; pranks; innuendo; comments; written or graphic material; stereotyping; or other threatening, hostile, or intimidating acts based on race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or other characteristic protected by state or federal law.

Definition of Sexual Harassment. 

“Sexual harassment” is generally defined under both state and federal law as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature where:

• Submission to or rejection of such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of any individual’s employment or as a basis for employment decisions; or

• Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.

Other sexually oriented conduct, whether intended or not, that is unwelcome and has the effect of creating a work environment that is hostile, offensive, intimidating, or humiliating to workers may also constitute sexual harassment.

While it is not possible to list all those additional circumstances that may constitute sexual harassment, the following are some examples of conduct that, if unwelcome, may constitute sexual harassment depending on the totality of the circumstances, including the severity of the conduct and its pervasiveness:

• Unwanted sexual advances, whether they involve physical touching or not;

• Sexual epithets, jokes, written or oral references to sexual conduct, gossip regarding one’s sex life, comments about an individual’s body, comments about an individual’s sexual activity, deficiencies, or prowess;

• Displaying sexually suggestive objects, pictures, or cartoons;

• Unwelcome leering, whistling, brushing up against the body, sexual gestures, or suggestive or insulting comments;

• Inquiries into one’s sexual experiences; and

• Discussion of one’s sexual activities.

All employees should take special note that, as stated above, retaliation against an individual who has complained about sexual harassment and retaliation against individuals for cooperating with an investigation of sexual harassment complaint is unlawful and will not be tolerated at Geeks Who Drink.

Complaint Procedure. 

Any employee who believes they have been subject to or witnessed illegal discrimination, including sexual or other forms of unlawful harassment, is requested, and encouraged to make a complaint. You may, but are not required to, complain first to the person you feel is discriminating against or harassing you. You may complain directly to your immediate supervisor (Manager, in the case of Quizmasters/Bingo Callers) or department manager, the HR director, or any other member of management with whom you feel comfortable bringing such a complaint. Similarly, if you observe acts of discrimination toward or harassment of another employee, you are requested and encouraged to report this to one of the individuals listed above.

No reprisal, retaliation, or other adverse action will be taken against an employee for making a complaint or report of discrimination or harassment or for assisting in the investigation of any such complaint or report. Any suspected retaliation or intimidation should be reported immediately to one of the persons identified above.

All complaints will be investigated promptly and, to the extent possible, with regard for confidentiality.

If the investigation confirms conduct contrary to this policy has occurred, Geeks Who Drink will take immediate, appropriate, corrective action, including discipline, up to and including immediate termination.

Geeks Who Drink is a unique company in that we allow, BUT DO NOT REQUIRE, the consumption of alcohol, our brand is irreverent, and our mission is social. This puts the onus on us to have a very firm very policy against harassment of any kind whether it occurs in or outside the workplace. Geeks Who Drink takes claims of harassment, including online/social media harassment, and sexual misconduct very seriously.  While going to your manager to discuss any instance of harassment or misconduct is always a good option, we also understand that you might not always feel comfortable doing so.  In that case, we have set up additional contact options for our employees.

If you'd prefer to talk with someone in GWD directly other than your manager about harassment or other sensitive issues please fill out the ombudsperson form, linked here.

The nature of our business - providing entertainment for the hospitality industry - means that most employees will work in locations where alcohol is readily available.  Additionally, those performing have food and beverage tabs available during their performances.

Company employees are neither required nor encouraged to consume alcohol as part of their jobs.

Yes, we’re called Geeks Who Drink and one of the perks of working here is the food and beverage tab, but under no circumstances is a Quizmaster (QM) or Bingo Caller (BC) permitted to arrive to work drunk or to drink to the point of inebriation while carrying out their duties with GWD. 

It’s a fun job, but it’s a job nonetheless and we take this policy very seriously. 

Employees choosing to consume alcohol while working for GWD do so at their own discretion and must ensure that doing so does not pose a threat to their safety, the safety of others or the company’s reputation. Employees must further ensure that, if choosing to consume alcohol, their conduct meets the standards of this employee handbook. 

If your job performance is perceived to have been negatively affected by alcohol use, then we will review the incident and take appropriate action, up to and including termination of your employment with GWD.  

Notice of Potential Reduction in Workers Compensation Benefits:

If you choose to consume alcohol while working and are injured on the job, your workers compensation benefits may be reduced in accordance with the law of the state where you are working.

Don’t Be A Geek Who Drinks and Drives!

10,000 people a year have their lives cut short due to alcohol-related fatalities. Thousands more have their lives forever changed due to injuries or incarceration. Please do not drink and drive.

Tardiness

QMs and BCs are required to show up at least 30 minutes prior to the start of a scheduled event to set up, register players and teams, engage customers, etc. If you believe you may be late, you are required to call your venue and alert the management as to your ETA. More than one instance of tardiness within a 12-week period may result in penalties up to and including termination.

Policies differ for private events (PEs). Please refer to your specific instructions for your PE, and direct questions on PEs to the events team at events@geekswhodrink.com.

No Call/No Show

If you are unable to host your assigned quiz, you are required to find a sub.  At no time are you to cancel quiz because you will be absent.  If you are struggling to find a sub, please alert your manager right away by emailing qmsupport@geekswhodrink.com. 

With the exception of emergencies, if you do not show up to host your quiz and do not alert your manager (via qmsupport@geekswhodrink.com) in advance, you will be marked as a No Call/No Show. All No Call/No Shows will be reviewed and can result in the immediate termination of your employment with Geeks Who Drink. For more information on finding substitutes, please refer to the Substitutions section of the The Handbook.

Your pay is calculated based on event report entries on obeyyourquizmaster.com (OYQ).  The event report is due 24 hours from quiz start time. Any event report published over 30 minutes past the deadline is late. But life happens, and if your event report is going to be late because of any number of things - e.g. you left your event right for the airport to go on a trip, your actual day job is giving you a headache, your kid is sick, etc. - just give the RMs a shout at qmsupport@geekswhodrink.com. We promise, we understand.

Excessive late event reports - defined as more than three in a quarterly period- will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. After review, excessive late event reports can result in counseling and disciplinary action detailed in the Human Resources section of this Handbook.

A couple of tips to submitting your event report on time:

1. Keep OYQ open during your event. Add pictures after you take them (during the event), add scores as you announce final standings, and submit the event report immediately following the quiz before tearing down your audio. 

2. Make sure you always download your scores from DAS BEFORE leaving the venue. If you forget to download at the venue, you should be able to access them at home later that night, until the Midnight Purge. If you forget to download your scores and aren't able to retrieve them, email qmsupport@geekswhodrink.com and let us know where you were hosting and on what day.
   
   

If you are a new QM/BC in training: 

You do not have to submit event reports after your training nights. The Recruiting and Training team will enter pay for you after your training nights.

If you are hosting a chaperone night, you need to complete an event report as if you were the regular or substitute host. Chaperone night is paid at full, starting pay with a $25 food and beverage tab.  

If you are a new QM/BC and have any questions on event report policy, please contact your assigned Trainer-Recruiter directly or email the Recruiting and Training team at recruiting@geekswhodrink.com. 

Instructions for how to submit your event report can be found in the "After Your Event" chapter.

Getting to know the employees at any venue where you host is essential and friendly interaction and is highly encouraged. However, please remember that we are a contracted vendor at each venue. This means that we are not their customers, and we must present ourselves in a professional manner. All venue staff, space, and customers must be treated respectfully. Reports of disrespect to staff, customers (including non-quizzing customers), and the physical property of our clients will result in a review of the incident. If the review shows that you were at fault, we can take remedial action ranging from verbal counseling to termination of your employment with Geeks Who Drink.

If you feel an interaction may have been questionable at a quiz you hosted, please feel free to give us a shout at qmsupport@geekswhodrink.com. We always default to hearing your side before making any decisions, and try to have your back in these situations.

Use your best judgment - in line with your venue's expectations - when peppering your event with coarse language. Some bars and audiences are fine with it, others - not so much.

About Geeks Who Drink, its Content, or its Management

If you follow up a question or clue with a comment like "I don't know who makes this stuff up," it may seem innocent enough - but keep in mind that quizzers' faith in Geeks Who Drink will only be as strong as the faith you demonstrate in our product.

If a situation arises where you legitimately have a problem with quiz or bingo content, please email editorial@geekswhodrink.com before the event. That way, we can make any necessary changes before the event goes live.

About Anyone

Do not make jokes or any other disparaging remarks about anyone, present or otherwise, based on race, ethnicity, nationality, language, class, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics, age, health, disability, or any other status.

Never use ANY slurs. This also goes for offensive team names - change them immediately, and never read them aloud.

It's tacky. Don't do it.  You are paid and provided a bar tab. The tips should be going to the waitstaff, not a GWD host.  If someone insists on palming you a five, fine.  But soliciting tips is not supported or condoned by Geeks Who Drink. 

Exception to the rule: Private Events (PEs).  

Exception to that exception: We still prohibit the use of tip jars at PEs. Accepting tips at PEs is allowed, soliciting for them via a receptacle or on-mic request is prohibited.

Your $25 tab does not include gratuity for the server or bartender. Please take care of your servers. We cannot require you to tip but we strongly encourage it, especially if you want to establish a good rapport with the venues where you're working.

On that note, encourage your players to tip generously and it never hurts to solicit a round of applause for the staff. Those little things go a long, long way. 

As a host, you may refuse to read aloud any team name that makes you uncomfortable, for any reason. Additionally, there are team names that must NOT be read aloud during quiz under ANY circumstances (see the above section on disparaging remarks).

Err on the side of omitting: If you have any doubt about whether a team name meets these criteria, assume it does. If a team name runs afoul, change it to something more innocuous. DO NOT change their name to something that insults THEM. Ultimately, we are looking to create a positive, inclusive, and fun environment for all of our quizzers.

Sometimes, the quiz copy will include swear words. Feel free to censor these as you prefer, keeping in mind the venue that you’re hosting at and how they might handle coarser language.

Occasionally, Geeks Who Drink creates custom content to promote certain companies and/or events. Promotional copy is represented in the script with the name of the sponsor in bold and bracketed next to the round title in the quiz PDF, e.g. [FOX], [HULU], etc.

Please read the entire promotional copy as it appears in the round introduction. We have been paid by our clients to do so, and there is a distinct chance that one of our clients might be at your quiz. 

Opting not to read the copy or denegrating our clients on microphone can be cause for remedial action, up to and including termination. 

We do not haze new hosts, nor do we encourage our players to do so.  We do not haze prospective new hosts at auditions.  If you feel you have been wrongfully singled out, please contact qmsupport@geekswhodrink.com. If you witness hazing and are not the target, and would prefer to remain anonymous, please fill out the Ombudsperson Form (found in the Helpful Links section) so that we can handle it.

This also goes for one-on-one interactions with other hosts, as well as on online forums.