The metaphorical unicorn that this greenkeeper never saw
I was talking to a head greenkeeper the other day, and he was probing me about human resources-related stuff (occupational hazard!).
One of the things he was keen to know was whether there was a legal requirement for an employer to have a handbook that they gave to their staff.
I asked him why he was so interested, and I was pretty surprised by his answer:
“Because I was given my contract, which refers to the handbook a lot. So I asked the Club Manager for a copy of this handbook. He said I should think of it like a unicorn.”
As you can imagine, I was a little bit confused by this, so he elaborated…
Apparently the Club Manager had told him that the handbook was magical, like a unicorn: everyone knows what it is, but no one has ever seen it in real life!
Now there are a couple of problems with this:
- Golf clubs (just like any other business) need to issue their staff with employee handbooks on policies and procedures
- This golf club was proud of being incompetent
It is just not on for golf clubs to try and pull a fast one, or in this case, a magical one, over their employees, and I’ve actually been in conversations recently with BIGGA about running some seminars for greenkeepers to help them understand their employment rights a little better.
Have you got a ‘magical handbook’? Best magic one into reality if you have…
