File photo. KPMG has alerted police and launched an internal investigation into suspected drink-spiking at a company event on Friday. Photo: 123RF
KPMG's executive chairperson says suspected drinking spiking at two company functions is horrific and the firm is doing everything to find out who is responsible.
An employee who appeared highly intoxicated at a team event in the Auckland office was taken home, but it was then discovered their drink had probably been spiked. Another employee had a similar experience at a previous work gathering.
KPMG alerted police and launched an internal investigation.
Executive chairperson Matt Prichard said whoever was responsible was a "grubby little coward" and he hoped they would be found.
"The partners who were responsible for being on-site hosts at [Friday's] event were able to act quickly and look after the person who was affected, and actually took them home safely and made sure they were looked after.
"That's the best outcome possible but it's a pretty horrific thing to have happened and something I never imagined we would have happen in our workplace."
He said it was only in retrospect the person worked through what had happened and the firm was able to start an investigation.
"The nature of the type of drug that's used means that a person appeared to be a severely intoxicated person very quickly, and that was what we originally thought we were looking after, but it's clear now it wasn't and that the person had been the victim of their drink being spiked."
It was highly likely there had been a drink-spiking a month ago at the same office, he said.
The firm was not sure where the suspected earlier incident may have take place, but had erred on the side of caution and had more hosts and a security guard at Friday's event.
"Something I never imagined we would have happen in our workplace" - KPMG executive chairperson Matt Prichard
"We expected those measures combined with the things we normally do as responsible hosts, like having one drink per person, not drink stacking and having an early cut-off, would be effective.
"But unfortunately that wasn't enough and we're now having to think really hard about how we run, and whether we can run, events for our really large team safely and appropriately and look after them."
All 1600 employees around the country were told what had happened and were "shocked and distressed".
"There is a grubby little coward out there somewhere and I'm just hopeful that that person's caught and that we can prevent it ever happening again.
He said it was an aberration and was not a comment at all on the culture of KPMG.