Note — general guidance only: Weather, award conditions and venue layouts differ. Adjust these ideas to fit your club’s circumstances.



Rain clouds can pop up faster than you can yell “jack high,” turning a well-planned bowls roster into a cost blow-out. With the right staffing tactics, your green can bounce back from a downpour without overtime creeping into the wage bill.



Why Rain Delays Blow Out Labour Costs

• Unpredictable stoppages:
last-minute pauses leave staff idle yet still on the clock.

• Extended play windows:
postponed ends push finish times into penalty-rate territory.

• Duplicate set-ups:
greens keepers and bar staff may need to redo work if play resumes.



Five Roster Tactics to Stay Dry and on Budget

• Weather-triggered micro-shifts:
build two-hour standby slots for casuals who can be called in only if BOM radar shows clear skies.

• Flexible role pairing:
roster staff with dual skills—e.g., bar service and basic green maintenance—so they remain productive during stoppages.

• Staggered meal breaks:
schedule breaks early for one crew and later for another; if rain hits, at least half the team is roster-ready when play restarts.

• Rain-delay task list:
keep a checklist of indoor jobs (stocktake, glass polishing) so idle minutes convert to productive labour, not wasted wages.

• Timed green inspections:
assign a supervisor to review conditions at set 15-minute intervals; decisive “go/no-go” calls beat drawn-out uncertainty.



Sample Rain-Delay Roster Flow

• 9 am – 11 am:
green prep, casual standby A.

• 11 am – 1 pm:
match starts; standby A released if rain hits.

• 1 pm – 3 pm:
staggered meal breaks.

• 3 pm – 5 pm:
potential resumption; standby B clocks in only if clear.

By pairing micro-shifts with clear rain-delay protocols, you can keep the bowls rolling and your wage budget dry—even when the weather isn’t.