Assigning members to an office club

Office-based Staff

1. Membership of an office club is determined by which office members are based in. This includes hybrid workers who all have an office base – even if they are hybrid working.

2. The catchment area of an office club should be prescribed in each club’s constitution at paragraph 2 (see extract from Model Club Constitution below). This specifies which office(s) are within the club’s catchment area – and therefore which members are assigned to the club.
   
3. Members must be assigned to the correct club for their office location. They cannot pick and choose which club they want to be assigned to depending on what offers are available elsewhere.
4. There are exceptional circumstances where we can assign a member to a different club from the one which they should ordinarily be assigned to. For example, if their office is located a long way from where they live and they want to be attached to the club nearest to them.  In such cases, it should be a 'once-only’ change that cannot be reversed unless their circumstances change. Therefore, members cannot routinely change from club to club based on what offers are available.0

5. Clubs that want more members cannot steal or ‘hoover up’ members that should be assigned to other clubs.

6. Any changes to the catchment areas of clubs should be agreed by the club(s) involved in conjunction with their HASSRA region. Following any agreed change, the club(s) constitution(s) should be amended accordingly.

7. If an office does not have a club, the members should remain ‘Unassigned’ until such time as the region decides that members in that office can be assigned to another club and agree a change to that club’s catchment area.

8. If an office club closes, the region should decide whether the members should be re-assigned to another club and agree a change to the catchment area. If an agreement cannot be reached, members may have to remain ‘Unassigned’.

Retired Members and NAMS

9. Prior to HASSRA Live, there was no official facility for retired members and NAMS to be assigned to an office club. By definition, an office club is for members who work in the office. However, since the introduction of HASSRA Live, retired members and NAMS can now request to be assigned to a club. This helps retired members retain a connection to their office club after they have retired. Clubs should not exclude retired members and NAMS from joining their club.

Retired Members

10. Unlike office-based members, retired members can choose any club because their location is their home address. They can choose the club nearest or most suited to them. However, once a club has been selected, they cannot reverse it unless their circumstances change. Therefore, members cannot routinely change from club to club based on what offers are available.

NAMS

11. NAMS can be assigned to an office club depending on the type of NAM application:

• If they are office-based staff, they should be assigned to the office club prescribed for their location. E.g. Staff who are co-located with DWP staff.

• If there is no club prescribed for their office location, they should remain ‘Unassigned’ until such time as the region decides that members in that office can be assigned to another club.

• If they do not work in an office, they can choose the club nearest or most suited to them. E.g. Staff no longer working for DWP but not yet retired.

12. Once a club has been selected, they cannot reverse it unless their circumstances change. Therefore, members cannot routinely change from club to club based on what offers are available.