Hide and Seek-“Hide and seek the general manager” – can’t see it usurping the traditional form of the game, but nevertheless, we have plenty of fun playing it in the Gap HR office. Here’s how it works: We hear from a client that they are moving. So far, so straightforward. Obviously, we hope to continue the relationship ... Read more
Cowardy custard?-We’ve had two new clients sign up on retainer this week, both with really meaty staff issues; the kind we really like to get our teeth into. There’s something else they have in common – both were already paying retainers to other HR companies when they approached us and asked us to help them with ... Read more
The most failed question-We’re recruiting at the moment – a steady stream of new clients over the last few months means we need to grow our team. Our recruitment process is pretty hardcore: after all, the person we hire will be giving advice to our clients, which means it’s got to be spot on. As part of the ... Read more
Do I have to ask before I pat a woman’s bottom?-I’ll be blunt: we have seen a large increase in sexual harassment in golf clubs in recent months. Not between employees. For the most part, they abide by the rules, and when there is an incident, it’s dealt with quickly, effectively and by the book. So, what’s the problem? In a word: the members. I ... Read more
Talk to your staff!-How about this one. The scammers targeted a new employee, let’s call her Sarah, less than two weeks in the company. They sent them an email, allegedly from the managing director, asking Sarah to buy some John Lewis and Apple gift cards to be used as gifts for valued employees. The email asked her to ... Read more
Fag packet step-up.-A client emailed this week, wanting to issue a final written warning for the chef at his club. He’d been drunk at work twice now, and they’d had enough. On the face of it, that all seems sensible – it’s clearly a disciplinary offence; potentially a dismissal. There was one teeny little snag, though: this ... Read more
My osmosis failure-We learnt plenty about osmosis during “O” level biology; trouble was that by the time it came to the exams, I’d forgotten it all. Perhaps I thought the process of osmosis would bail me out – just sleep with the textbook under the pillow, and my brain would be magically instilled with everything I needed ... Read more
It IS a word!!!-Words are important. Any serious Scrabble player reaching for the dictionary will tell you that. And when it comes to employment law, your choice of words couldn’t be more important. I experienced this recently when a golf club committee member got in touch. A member of staff at the club had submitted a grievance against ... Read more
Easter bank holidays 2024 – action required-Some of you need to start thinking about the Easter bank holidays! Keep reading if your holiday year runs from 1 April to 31 March AND you only give the statutory minimum annual leave entitlement (20 days + bank holidays). In 2024, the Easter bank holidays fall on 29 March and 1 April 2024. So, ... Read more
The greenkeeper shot the apprentice…-The greenkeeper shot the apprentice If one of your greenkeepers decided to shoot an apprentice with an air rifle, you’d assume it’d be okay to give them their marching orders, right? Not so fast… One of our clients decided to sign up with us having lost a big tribunal case based on exactly this transgression. ... Read more
This ad changed my life-This ad changed my life We’ve all tried them – the fad diets. 5:2, 2:2, Atkins, Keto, the list goes on and on – if you’re anything like me, you get bombarded with ads and content promising to help you drop a dress size, lose a stone or climb a mountain on a daily basis. ... Read more
Blown away by Travelodge-I was up in London at the theatre week. In days gone by, I’d likely have rushed out of the theatre to catch the last train home, but I’ve got to the age where that feels much more like a trial than an adventure, so I booked a hotel room close by and decided to ... Read more
Holiday – wise old soul-With better weather and the holidays hurtling towards us, I was reminded of a saying I read a while ago: “Take time for quietness, and you will free yourself from being influenced by the wrong things”. They had a point. Especially when it comes to the workplace. You see, it’s that time of year again ... Read more
Your self-employed shop assistant-Last week I was giving a talk to trainee golf club managers. And being the fun trainer I am, I decided to put together a quiz to see how employment law proficient they are. Don’t worry – they’re not meant to be experts; that’s why we exist, after all! Usually, they manage to get a ... Read more
They’re going to die anyway!-They’re going to die anyway! I saw the other day that Royal Dornoch Golf Club has installed defibrillators and first aid kits on six of its buggies. Five of them are hired out to golfers with pre-existing conditions; the other is for their “roving ranger”, who can help if someone has a problem. It seems ... Read more
No harm, no foul?-No harm, no foul? We’ve experienced a significant increase in sexual assault and harassment cases recently: • The member of a golf club committee that asked a waitress who was offering him a lift home if she was offering to give him a “little sex” • The bar manager that complained about female bra straps ... Read more
Zero hours = zero rights?-One of my friends got a new job the other day. She’s been unemployed since being made redundant last summer and jumped at the chance to do some casual work that used her admin skills. As you’d expect, I had my HR hat on, asking about her contract, sick pay and holiday and all that ... Read more
Zero hours = zero rights?-Zero hours zero rights One of my friends got a new job the other day. She’s been unemployed since being made redundant last summer and jumped at the chance to do some casual work that used her admin skills. As you’d expect, I had my HR hat on, asking about her contract, sick pay and ... Read more
Rounds are up, but people are down-Rounds are up, but people are down Last week’s BRS Golf figures made interesting reading. The number of rounds of golf so far this year is up 100% from the number played in the same period in 2019. But the number of members of golf clubs? Down 6,000 If you’re still a member somewhere, this ... Read more
Honesty is not the best policy…-Honesty is not the best policy… A client of ours had decided to terminate the employment of one their greenkeepers last week, but very nearly bungled the whole thing at the 11th hour. The greenkeeper in question had been there less than two years, had performed poorly for a long time, and had been called ... Read more
