often leave us by late summer. This has led to an increased reliance on the Visa program which has added expenses. The H2B program has sustained us for the last few years providing us trained skilled labor eager to work long hours. 80% of the culinary team are Visa staff since there are even fewer skilled culinary staff willing to work seasonally. The Visa staff members are highly motivated by wage and employment benefits and are highly sought after in the club industry. Offering a great wage is our best way to attract the highest caliber candidates so they do not choose other clubs over Forest Highlands. ● The other major change has been the elimination of the service fee to members. In 2019, every F&B ticket had a 20% service fee added onto to it. This was used to pay the service staff a better hourly rate. The house committee decided to eliminate this fee and add the 20% service to all members’ dues. Since then, the total Front of the House service staff wage is now included as part of the F&B overall budget. The above issues have made it challenging to create a labor savings plan that maintains the club standards and sustains a dynamic Food & Beverage program. This year we will make every effort to attain our budget goals and percentages through the steps below. ● We created a staffing guideline in the Fall based on limited wage increases while maintaining staffing levels similar to dining operations in 2023. ● The Scheduling Managers will rigorously refer to these staffing guidelines throughout the summer and be provided with payroll reports that point out any deficiencies. ● The “managing down” labor philosophy will be constantly communicated to operational managers. Seeking out staff volunteers on slow nights should also prevent any overstaffing issues. ● The culinary team has put in place several cost savings measures to provide excellent dining and food experiences while limiting some of the hourly time-consuming prep done in the past. Purchasing some products prepared rather than making them in-house. Limiting the number of staff used at Food Stations and outlets. C ONCLUSION : This is a preliminary plan for the 2024 Season that relies on our analysis of the 2023 season, member survey analysis and historical data. There may be other ideas and changes that develop before the start of the 2024 season. This plan was created using the annual survey, individual member & staff feedback, and new club industry trends. The 2024 budget has also been our guide in determining what will be the best use of our assets in this new season. We will look to respond quickly to any adjustments that the Board of Directors or House Committee deem appropriate.
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