But 80% of my employees keep asking for them!
If someone is that eager to have an event outside work, then you should ask yourself why haven't they organized one themselves? Either it is option A (they are just brownnosing and saying what they think you want to hear) or B, 80% of people don't actually want to go out to events and it is really just a loud minority saying it and the others are just agreeing to sound good.
Chances are, you haven't actually asked 80% of your employees. Most likely you heard it second hand from a manager pushing this idea (again, brownnosing or looking for promotion) or you heard it in a group setting where people don't want to be seen as not "team players" and don't say there actual opinion on it.
If you change your policy, don't be shocked if a lot of people start leaving the company for some "unexplained" reason.
* The business will take care of the organizing
* Making it a "work event" gives them slack from family members who might otherwise balk at coworker happy hour
While possible, I highly doubt getting an even paid for is stopping people from going to do things. If that was the case, restaurants would never be in business.
>* The business will take care of the organizing
Again, same thing. If this was an issue, then restaurants and parks would not exist, people can organize if they really want too.
>* Making it a "work event" gives them slack from family members who might otherwise balk at coworker happy hour
This is possibly the issue, but that sounds like a personal problem for them that they should speak to a therapist about. If they stay after work working longer hours or try to force events to avoid people at their home, then that is there concern and others shouldn't be punished for it. Not to make light of their situation. But people work long hours enough in this country, let people do what they want after work without forcing meetings after work. Which is EXACTLY what these things are, meetings. Anyone who says otherwise, try getting drunk at these meetings and saying whatever you want and see if you still have a job. If it wasn't a meeting, then none of that would matter.
