by Toni Shibayama
Chances are the managers who serve under you have risen to their respective positions from within the club environment, which means they are familiar with the club’s various capacities. They’ve been loyal to the club on their journey to be a manager, unlike a Hilton or Ritz Carlton where people are brought in from outside. They have shown the grit and muscle to become managers, and they hold an accountability to the club, which is a key factor in your success. They understand the challenges and know how to work with fellow employees as an agent for the club. They know how things work and don’t work and how to handle each scenario as it unfolds. In essence, they serve as a suit of armor around that which can often be a fragile world.
They are craftsmen; but even the most skilled craftsmen need the proper tools to do their job. And part of that job is to create a culture among employees, partly by making sure issues that can negatively impact the club are mitigated. For instance, handling workers’ issues before they escalate by having a candid sit-down with the party in question and asking, “How can I help you get better at your job?” This needs to be done before there’s even a whisper of things spiraling out of control, which often ends up in injuries, lawsuits, harassment accusations, and so forth.
You need to carve out guidelines by establishing expectations and predictability, applying consequences fairly and consistently, correcting inappropriate behavior and poor performance, helping rehabilitate employees with potential, and protecting against complaints and lawsuits.
The danger is, much like everyone’s singular definition of pornography, that grey area when it comes to “inappropriate behavior.”
For those people who don’t have a dictionary handy, sexual harassment has been defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when submission to, or rejection of, such conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment; unreasonably interferes with the individual’s work performance; or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.
When this occurs at some level, then disciplinary meetings are the order of the day. Make sure to talk privately and promptly after an alleged offence while remaining calm and objective. Let the employee explain and then determine the facts, while making sure to emphasize the seriousness of the situation. Bottom line: your managers must be the living embodiment of the employee manual.
It’s important to remember that a toxic workplace can take on many other shapes:
Verbal:
- Foul or obscene language
- Derogatory comments
- Nicknames
- Explicit discussions about sexual activities
- Comments about other people’s physical attributes
Visual:
- Leering
- Staring
- Making sexual gestures
- Displaying sexually explicit objects, pictures, cartoons, graffiti, or posters
- Social media posts
- Sending graphic emails, text messages, or jokes
Physical:
- Kissing
- Hugging
- Grabbing
- Impeding or blocking movement
- Assault
This is where policies and training must be reinforced by leadership. The managers and supervisors must understand that their adherence to the standards of the law and internal policies is required. Top management should model desired behavior and provide appropriate support to managers and supervisors on the front lines. Are you providing them with the training and education around being a leader and manager at your club? The investment is not an option but necessary.
The takeaway is this; as a General Manager you call the shots. But your managers are on the front line. You might be the quarterback, but you still rely on your team to protect your blind side. By doing so you can reap the rewards of fewer workplace injuries (and a lowering of the workers’ comp experience mod), fewer lawsuits, less turnover, and a potential lowering of your EPLI premiums. And this can be accomplished by being fair in your employer practices, understanding protected classes, emphasizing respect in the workplace, taking appropriate steps when discipline is warranted (i.e., oral warning, written warning, suspension and termination) and following company policy by creating a fair, fun, respectful, and safe culture for all, you eliminate your club having to walk a trail of tears.
Toni Shibayama is a Broker/Risk Consultant for S&K Insurance in Southern California. She has more than 15 years experience in risk management, job safety, Workers’ Compensation, wellness and HR consulting. Toni is also the author of “The Private Club General Manager’s Big Game Playbook.”
She can be reached at toni@sk-insurance.com and by phone at 213.627.5204.
