According to Jason Antonio, a doorman in Manhattan, the life of a doorman is extraordinary enough to make a movie out of. If that’s the case, then as a doorman, you can expect some fascinating times—some of which you’ve perhaps already experienced.
Because of this, it’s important to make sure you’re covered from all angles if your employer hasn’t covered you. So when you’ve finally obtained your door supervisor licence, what are some of the insurance types you should consider?
1. Most important: Get work compensation insurance
If you find yourself hospitalised or incapacitated due to a work-related incident for whatever reason, it’s nice to know that you are still covered for those days when you cannot work. This is especially true for freelance door supervisors who don’t have a permanent salary to rely on. If you have a family relying on your income, then the responsible thing to do is to take out worker’s compensation insurance that ties in with your line of work.
2. Life insurance
It’s not something we like to think about, but being a doorman is a unique career and a sometimes dangerous one. If you have a family that would struggle to cope without your financial contribution, then life insurance is a must. Life insurance will cover your family if anything were to happen to you and ensure your children a better future if you weren’t around to provide. It’s not a nice topic to think about, but you should seriously consider it.
3. Public liability insurance
As someone who has undergone door supervisor training, you already know that situations at work can get rough. People are often under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol before and after they enter your work establishment. If someone starts trouble, will you be able to afford the liability costs of damaging property—or worse, injuring someone? Public liability will cover you in the event of unforeseen and thereby protect your personal finances.
4. Extra legal insurance
Your employer may include legal insurance on your list of benefits, but this is certainly not the industry rule. Legal insurance will come in handy if you are charged with assault or any other public crime. If it gets to the point where you need an attorney, you’ll be happy to have one by your side. Should any charges go to court, at least your legal costs will be covered, and your own pocket will be left untouched.
5. Cover for business equipment
If you are using pricey equipment as a part of your door supervisor job, then always check to make sure that it’s all insured. Communication equipment and defence tools can be expensive, which is why so many people choose to insure them as part of their work expenses. If your employer isn’t insuring your equipment, make sure any damage costs aren’t coming out of your pocket.
It’s not as if being a doorman is like being in a war zone, but accidents do happen. This is especially true within an environment where people’s judgement is compromised by alcohol and drugs—and this is the kind of environment you will find yourself in night after night. So when choosing to protect yourself while you protect others, be sure to get covered in all the right places.
How to work in the security sector
If you are interested in working in the security sector, whether it be as a Door Supervisor, Security Guard or CCTV Operative, you will need to obtain an SIA Licence.
To obtain an SIA Licence, you will need to complete a course. Once you have completed the course, will you then be able to apply for an SIA Licence and work in the security sector.
Looking for jobs?
To find the latest security jobs, check out our Jobs Board, which has 1,000+ jobs from the UK’s best security companies.
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