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Bayer’s role in outstanding conditions

December 20, 2019/in News, Press Release/by Amy Stinton

Bayer’s role in outstanding conditions: Greenkeepers are crucial to a golf course’s success, but inevitably a helping hand is sometimes required to maintain playability throughout the year to maintain stress free turf. “We don’t know yet what conditions greenkeepers will have to deal with during 2020, in recent years they’ve had to manage both unseasonal […]

IOG recommend 2.5% pay rise

December 20, 2019/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by Colin Hoskins

IOG recommend 2.5% pay rise: The Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG), the leading membership organisation for everyone involved in the management of sports pitches, landscape and amenity facilities in the UK, is recommending a 2.5 per cent increase in grounds staff’s national minimum salary bands for 2020. In addition, says the IOG, the amount paid in […]

Bayer’s role in outstanding conditions

December 20, 2019/in News, Press Release/by Amy Stinton

IOG recommend 2.5% pay rise

December 20, 2019/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by Colin Hoskins

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Bayer’s role in outstanding conditions

December 20, 2019/in News, Press Release/by Amy Stinton

Bayer’s role in outstanding conditions: Greenkeepers are crucial to a golf course’s success, but inevitably a helping hand is sometimes required to maintain playability throughout the year to maintain stress free turf.

“We don’t know yet what conditions greenkeepers will have to deal with during 2020, in recent years they’ve had to manage both unseasonal dry and wet conditions, and at times it has been a challenge to keep on top of turf stress,” says Neil Pettican, Bayer head of sales.

“Due to the unpredictable nature of the UK climate, we strongly recommend investing in a preventative and integrated approach to turf management to be in a position to handle whatever is thrown at turf throughout the year,” adds Neil.

He says when it comes to disease management implementing a preventative approach is key and can be achieved by incorporating cultural and biological practices alongside chemical solutions prior to the onset of disease.

“Healthy plants are better equipped to combat disease and mitigate stress. Modern fungicides and IPM programs need to do more than just work on the pathogen for disease control, as improving plant heath plays a crucial role,” he explains.

If greenkeepers aren’t invested in this approach, we’re recommending that 2020 should be the year that they change their focus.

“If you prevent diseases before they affect playability, it both reduces long-term costs and any negative effects on the golfers experience,” says Neil.

He recommends that if greenkeepers are looking at using preventative fungicides, they should look out for Stressgard^®Formulation Technology as it is proven to improve plant physiological results. It enhances plant health allowing superior disease management and healthier turf, ensuring grass is in a stronger position to withstand further pressures.

“Disease pressure will inevitably be present during this year, so it’s best to get prepared well in advance,” says Neil.

He adds that for instance it’s been reported that 90% of golf courses suffer with Microdochium patch annually, so it will pay to be prepared early prior to infection, especially as the early stages of Microdochium patch can be very difficult to spot.

“Taking an early stance on preventative, rather than curative, applications will limit the severity of disease outbreaks later in the season, improving consistency of long-term playability and ultimately satisfaction for you and your golfers.”

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IOG recommend 2.5% pay rise

December 20, 2019/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by Colin Hoskins

IOG recommend 2.5% pay rise: The Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG), the leading membership organisation for everyone involved in the management of sports pitches, landscape and amenity facilities in the UK, is recommending a 2.5 per cent increase in grounds staff’s national minimum salary bands for 2020.

In addition, says the IOG, the amount paid in recognition of IOG qualifications should increase to £600 per band (a 4.3% increase) to ensure an ongoing focus on training and professional development. The total amount received should be directly linked to the highest qualification level held and equates to £600 for each level attained (eg £2,400 for a Level 4 qualification).

The IOG’s recommendations have been made against a backdrop of “considerable uncertainty in both the economic and political context”, says the IOG which adds: “The election result could have a significant impact on public investment, expenditure, economic growth and inflation, and this has made accurate predictions for the coming year much harder than usual.”

Median projected pay awards for 2020 are around 2%, with most forward-looking basic pay settlements being between 2-4%. Over half of employers predict that their 2020 pay award will be between 2-3%, so the IOG’s recommended uprating should ensure pay rates remain competitive.

It also sits between the projected CPI (Consumer Price Inflation) figure for 2019 of 2.1% and the recent increase in the voluntary Living Wage (3.3%), and should take account of any increase in the cost of living. This is particularly important in light of the fall of 0.4% in median gross pay for grounds staff in the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.

The IOG recommended national basic salary bands for 2020 are:

Grounds manager
£36,676-£56,817

Head groundsperson
£31,280-£42,932

Deputy head groundsperson/sole charge
£25,591-£32,662

Groundsperson (skilled)
£23,932-£30,530

Groundsperson
£19,174-£24,460

Junior groundsperson
£16,303 (Age 17)

Junior groundsperson (aged 16)

£13,538.

These bands reflect minimum recommended basic salary payment and are based on a 37.5-hour week. Bonuses, overtime and subsistence payments have not been included and are therefore additional.

Regional pay variations have been taken into account, with higher cost areas of the country expected to make salary awards at the upper levels of the appropriate band. Regional differentials are: London Inner £3,941; London Outer £2,353; Fringe Areas £704 – £1,413. Other UK regions are broadly similar in their pay levels.

The recommended minimum pay rate for a groundsperson in London should be set at £21,000 (Outer) and £22,500 (inner). The IOG would also encourage employers to become a Living Wage Employer by gaining accreditation from the Living Wage Foundation. This has been shown to enhance job satisfaction and improves the reputation of the employer.

Given the current climate of economic and political uncertainty and on-going fiscal restraint, the IOG says it is of critical importance to job satisfaction levels that employers ensure they are meeting their obligations in ensuring fair payment for overtime worked and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. This should be done in partnership with employees with agreements reached about the balance between overtime pay, time off in lieu and flexible working.

These salary recommendations follow the publication of the IOG’s 2019 industry-wide survey, Groundsmanship – Sport’s Vital Profession, which highlighted a number of areas of concern in relation to the pay and career structure within the groundscare industry.

Says IOG chief executive Geoff Webb: “Over half of head grounds staff earn more than £25,000 per annum and a fifth earn over £40,000. Feedback during interviews indicated that some head grounds staff are earning considerably more than £40,000. Clearly, the range of salaries is very wide and individuals doing similar jobs, sometimes for similar employers, can be earning significantly different salaries.

He adds: “It is not clear if there is a recognised career structure within the sector, and it is important that there is clear career progression that rewards learning and development, and a review is recommended to explore how this can best be achieved.”

Geoff continues: “The IOG will be commissioning further research, based on the salaries achieved by the head grounds people at elite sports venues and the recognised status of their roles.

“The IOG considers it vital that in certain areas of the industry – such as at elite sports venues with worldwide focus – that there should be further analysis of roles and responsibilities, comparing not only salary levels but also the relative status of the roles within such venues,” he says.

“Indeed, in certain situations, it may be argued that there should be no upper wage cap because the demands at individual sites are unique and evidence suggests that wages at UK venues compared to overseas sites differ greatly and, in the UK, are certainly below the earning potential of the head grounds person’s role overseas.

“Given the excellent work of UK grounds staff and the iconic sports venues they maintain, it is important that this issue is addressed. So, the IOG will be commissioning further research into this area during the coming year and the results will be factored into the salary recommendations in future reports.”

The research was carried out independently by Myriad Research (www.myriadresearch.co.uk) using a number of data sources for analysis. IOG members can access the full report and view the bands via their online member portal. For information on how to become a member and gain access to this report, please email iog@iog.org or call 01908 512 311 for more information.

If you would like a copy of the IOG’s 2019 industry-wide survey, Groundsmanship – Sport’s Vital Profession, please contact the IOG – email iog@iog.org or call 01908 512 311.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Bayer’s role in outstanding conditions

Bayer’s role in outstanding conditions

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Bayer’s role in outstanding conditions

Bayer’s role in outstanding conditions: Greenkeepers are crucial to a golf course’s success, but inevitably a helping hand is sometimes required to maintain playability throughout the year to maintain stress free turf.

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