There is a misconception in the health club industry surrounding the overall safety of 24 hour “key access” clubs. As a 25 year insurance specialist in the health and fitness business, I would like to set the record straight as to the claims experience and risk management history of these key access facilities and particularly …
One of most frequent subjects for debate in the health club industry involves the discussion of employee vs. independent contractor. Many club owners attempt to reduce their exposure of employment related costs and potential liability, by utilizing independent contractors rather than have employees. This is very common with personal trainers and group exercise instructors. There …
Are My Trainers Employees or Independent Contractors? Read More »
According to health club industry statistics, over half of all health clubs (excluding circuit training facilities) provide day care service for their members. Although we readily use the term “day care” we really are referring to “child sitting” when describing this service. Day Care Centers are typically subject to strict operational and educational protocols associated …
Determining the proper amount of property insurance coverage can be tricky. Most club owners know how much they paid for their equipment when they opened the doors. They also know that they (or their landlord) spent a certain amount on the construction of the club or their tenant improvements (build out costs). Even though most …
How do you determine the correct amount of property insurance? Read More »
I realize that the title of this article will be met with a collective “duh” response. It is sort of like; “Lose weight through sensible eating and exercise”. So although the title is simplistic and vague, I would hope that you would continue to read the content. Hopefully, one or more of the steps toward …
Insulate yourself from lawsuits by improving Customer Service Read More »
I have some bad news club owners. The next claim or lawsuit you will experience will very likely come from your own employee. The new hot issue for attorneys this year is “employment” related law. Now for the really bad news; your workers compensation and liability insurance won’t protect you. If you have read any …
HOW TO KEEP FROM GETTING SUED – BY YOUR EMPLOYEE! Read More »
Probably the most important step to establishing a risk management system for health clubs is making sure that you keep it simple. Club policies and procedures not only have to be consistent, they have to be easy to implement. Whenever I am speaking at a health club seminar I ask the club owners and managers …
Suit-Proofing Your Club: 2 Solutions- Education and Documentation Read More »
One of the most unpleasant surprises a club owner receives during the course of their career is the day they receive a certified letter from an attorney putting them on notice that they are being sued by a member. In many cases, this letter arrives nearly two years after an incident occurs and often the …
Make safety and risk management a part of your club’s internal operations. As part of a regular staff meeting, club owners should also discuss risk management issues. Some sample topics of discussion would be; equipment maintenance, problem wet areas, and child care procedures. Use a separate waiver document. The problem with most waivers is that …
Use it Correctly or Expect a Lawsuit As you may or may not know, one of the health club industries most respected equipment companies, recently lost a verdict in a case involving the improper use of a leg extension machine. The user, while attempting a stretching exercise, pulled the machine over on herself fracturing her …
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