EXCUSES, EXCUSES

Having to reach out multiple times to sort out payment for a game fee is infuriating and unacceptable.

•The school board hasn’t yet approved the payment.

We had a contract, right? It said I’d be there to work the game and I’d get paid a certain amount of money. We understand not every school district or league pays the same way. There are going to be different financial controls in place and different time frames for processing payment to independent contractors. But don’t think it’s not frustrating when school district X manages to process officiating payments within a week while school district Y always gets held up weeks waiting for board approval. That shows it can be done more promptly. Heck, in some parts of the country, schools and leagues find ways to have payment made on game day.

What helps is getting some upfront information about how a school or league operates. If we have insights into the process, we’re typically quite accommodating. At the very least, we can then make decisions as independent contractors about whether we want to work those games under those payment conditions. Don’t leave us in the dark about how payment processes work.

•The check is in the mail or the online payment is processing.

If it really is and you know that’s the case, great. But nothing is worse than being told that only to wait another couple weeks with nothing arriving. Then, we call and we’re told, “Sorry, we didn’t have your W-9.”

So how could the check be in the mail?

If you don’t really know, we’d rather hear that than get told something merely to placate us. And if it has been a while since the game, we’d appreciate someone with the power to check on the status to actually check on it. We worked the game; we shouldn’t have to do this much work to get paid for working the game.

•We have had a change in our business office.

When we call to check on payment, we hear this with incredible frequency. We understand this can sometimes be a real hiccup. Delays can happen with new procedures and new people. But this is heard often enough there’s either a national crisis in turnover in school business offices or we’re being put off a la “the check is in the mail.”

•The administrative assistant is on leave. While we do have sympathy when unexpected things happen, it’s not the best business practice when only one person is capable of handling essential tasks — like paying those who rendered services. Especially when the leave is something anticipated in advance, it’s hard not to be frustrated when we now have to wait for someone’s return (which we’re sometimes told could be weeks).

Again, being upfront about what’s transpiring and how you’re working to take care of business helps. But what really satisfies is ensuring that when we take care of the business of officiating games, you’re able to take care of the business of paying us for those services in a timely manner.

It comes down to this: Failing to pay sports officials in a timely manner is emblematic of what’s created this entire officiating shortage in the first place. It sends a message sports officials aren’t valued. It’s simply another way we are being disrespected as sports officials, piled on top of out-of-control spectators, sub-standard or nonexistent locker rooms and stagnant game fees.

As I write this, I’m still waiting to get paid for a game I worked three months ago. That’s simply unacceptable. And don’t think that’s not in my mind when I’m considering accepting games from that school or league the next time they’re offered.

For what we’re paid, we shouldn’t have to endure additional struggles getting that payment. Scott Tittrington is an associate editor at Referee. He officiates college and high school baseball, college and high school basketball, and high school football. *