The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), Ireland’s largest sporting organization, is facing scrutiny over its failure to establish the number of employees it has and how much they cost. A recent Human Resource resources review has revealed that the organization is unable to provide accurate information pertaining to its workforce, a startling revelation for an organization that boasts a membership of over half a million people. This has raised concerns about transparency and accountability within the GAA, as members and stakeholders alike await further explanation from the organization.
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) has admitted that it cannot provide an exact figure for the number of people it employs. The revelation was made during a presentation to the Central Council at the weekend, which outlined the ongoing Human Resource Review. A steering group has been working to implement the findings of a 2019 independent assessment of the GAA’s HR arrangements at all levels of the organisation.
Despite significant research, data gathering and analysis, the GAA has been unable to accurately determine the number of employees it has, or their associated costs, due to an unwieldy and layered employment and job specification structure. The HR review identified several challenges, including potential legal exposures arising from failures to comply with employment legislation, a lack of parity between employees, inconsistent employment policies, and procedures, and structures.
The GAA’s project team aims to clean up these issues by the end of September. Objectives include ensuring compliance by all GAA units with legal and health and safety requirements, centralising the payroll for all employees and implementing uniform terms and benefits for all units, and developing a standard job approval and recruitment process for all units. The HR review is also impacting the roll-out of the new funding model for coaching and games development, which is not expected to take place until October.
In conclusion, the Human Resource resources review has revealed some startling findings about the GAA’s inability to determine the number of employees and cost of their workforce. This lack of transparency and clarity is a cause for concern, particularly for an organization as influential and prominent as the GAA. It is imperative that the GAA takes this review seriously and addresses these issues promptly, to ensure better accountability and governance. The GAA must prioritize the proper management and reporting of its human resource resources, not only for its own benefit but for the benefit of its employees and stakeholders.
