On The Radar: August – US Clubs

What’s changing for US clubs: three things on the radar

Running a club has never been only about the course and the clubhouse. Between labor rules, workplace safety and food service, the bar for what a well-run club is expected to evidence keeps rising, and there are always a few changes worth having on your radar sooner rather than later.

None of them calls for a panic. Each one simply rewards the clubs that stay ahead: the ones who prepare calmly over the time they have, rather than scrambling when an inspection, an insurer or a board question arrives. That is the thread running through all three of the changes below, from how you protect your crew in the heat to how you serve your members.

Here are three things US clubs should know about right now, why each one matters, and where to go for the detail.

OSHA’s heat standard has stalled, but the enforcement hasn’t

A proposed federal Heat Injury and Illness Prevention standard has been working through rulemaking for the past couple of years, but it is currently on hold with no finalization expected soon. That is easy to read as “nothing to do.” It isn’t. OSHA still pursues heat hazards under the General Duty Clause, and its Heat National Emphasis Program has been expanded and runs through 2031. Several states, including California, Washington, Oregon and Minnesota, already enforce their own heat rules.

For the grounds and agronomy team working through peak summer, the practical answer doesn’t change with the politics. A written heat plan covering water, shade, rest breaks and acclimatization for new and returning workers is the expected standard, and it is the kind of thing that is far easier to prove was in place than to explain after an incident. (Source: OSHA. Obbi keeps risk assessments and safety checks linked to the requirements they satisfy.)

The 2024 overtime rule is officially gone

After being struck down in the courts, the Department of Labor’s 2024 overtime rule has now been formally rescinded, restoring the earlier salary thresholds for exempt staff. The standard threshold is back to $684 a week ($35,568 a year), and the highly compensated employee threshold is back to $107,432 a year.

For club operators, this brings some welcome certainty on which salaried roles can be treated as exempt when you plan staffing and budgets. Two things worth keeping in mind: an employee still has to meet both the salary test and the duties test to qualify, and several states set their own thresholds higher than the federal floor, so check your state before you rely on the federal number. (Source: U.S. Department of Labor.)

Allergen labeling is under fresh review

The FDA is taking another look at how food allergens are flagged, including precautionary “may contain” statements and whether to move toward science-based thresholds. It held a public meeting on the question in early 2026 and has been gathering industry comment since.

The detail is aimed mostly at packaged-food labels, but the direction is a useful prompt for any club with a kitchen. Allergen handling, accurate menu information and cross-contact controls remain one of the most scrutinized areas in food safety, and one of the easiest places for a standard to slip when it lives in one person’s memory rather than in a documented, everyday check. (Source: FDA. See how Obbi keeps food safety checks done and recorded.)

Different rules, same principle

What ties these together is not the detail, it is the direction. More of what a club does is expected to be visible and provable, not just done. The clubs that stay ahead of changes like these are the ones already set up to prove where they stand, on any given day, not just when someone asks.