How the LA Clippers saved valuable HR time while building their new arena

The LA Clippers are more than just an NBA team—it’s also a celebrated Los Angeles organization, with far-reaching commercial and charitable impacts. The LA Clippers Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting Southern California youth, runs community programs and scholarships to support kids and teens in the greater LA area.

Last year, Steve Ballmer announced the formation of Halo Sports and Entertainment, which includes the Clippers; Intuit Dome, LA’s newest landmark for live events and concerts; the San Diego Clippers; and the Kia Forum, a multipurpose venue for music and entertainment.

Intuit Dome, the Clippers new home, was opening in August 2024. To prepare for owning and operating their own arena, the team has taken steps to increase their headcount, expanding employee benefits, and partnering with Sparrow for full-service employee leave management.

Giving employees a well-rounded experience in and out of work

One of the Clippers’ goals is to have a positive workplace culture and to assist in that effort, providing employees a well-rounded work experience, with benefits and opportunities that support them, is a priority.

“Employee care is integral to how we operate,” said Raymond Ortegaso, the LA Clippers’ Chief Human Resources Officer.

“Sports and entertainment is a fast-moving environment,” he added. “Building our new arena has been a big target over the last few years, and we know that attracting and retaining the right talent is critical, so our employee benefits and employee experience have been top of mind.”

“The entire leave process is more seamless with Sparrow.”

The Clippers’ core employee benefits include comprehensive medical coverage, a 401(k) plan with a company contribution, paid time off, paid parental leave, disability and life insurance, and flexible spending accounts.

The Clippers have expanded their offerings over the years. “We wanted to round out our resources to cover financial well-being, mental well-being, and lifestyle needs,” Ortegaso explained.

“We also give employees a well-being stipend,” said Ortegaso. “They can use it to enhance their physical well-being, buy some sporting equipment, take on a hobby, or sign up for a class.” The possibilities are plentiful. “That money allows employees to put money toward something that will help them outside of work.”

In keeping with their same philosophy of well-rounded employee care, the Clippers decided to partner with Sparrow for employee leave management.

“When we were first getting set up with Sparrow, their Leave Specialists also helped us craft and fine-tune our leave policy.”

Before teaming up with Sparrow, the LA Clippers managed employee leave internally. With major internal growth on the horizon, the Clippers were open to finding a better leave management system. “We had looked at other leave providers in the past, but hadn’t made the jump,” Ortegaso said. “But it was always in the back of my mind that as we grew, we needed to find more efficient ways to do our work.”

When Sparrow was referred to the Clippers in 2022, outsourcing leave management seemed like a natural progression. “At the time we signed on with Sparrow, we didn’t have too many leaves to manage, but we knew that might change,” he explained.

Ortegaso was right: since partnering with Sparrow in early 2022, the Clippers’ headcount has grown from 180 full-time employees to 350.

“We wanted to provide our team with white glove service during their leave and it’s important to us to give them as much support during the process as we can. We feel very good about having Sparrow step in and do that for us.”

Entrusting Sparrow with full-service leave management

Using Sparrow for end-to-end leave administration has given the Clippers more time to meet internal goals, without sacrificing their employee experience during leave.

“The entire leave process is more seamless with Sparrow,” said Ortegaso. “When we were first getting set up with Sparrow, their Leave Specialists also helped us craft and fine-tune our leave policy.”

Sparrow provided feedback on the Clippers’ existing leave policy and shared what industry peers and organizations of similar sizes were doing, so the company could make their policy as inclusive and competitive as possible. “Sparrow’s guidance was very helpful at the outset,” he added.

With Sparrow, the Clippers’ HR team doesn’t have to worry about parsing out complex California leave laws, downloading and completing reams of paperwork, or liaising with insurance providers and state agencies. Sparrow takes over every task for them.

“Employee communication is probably the piece that's been most helpful for us, because we don’t have to worry about it and we know our employees are being well taken care of by the Sparrow team.”

In addition to tracking deadlines and maintaining compliance, Sparrow also sets up automatic payroll calculations and generates custom payroll reports for the Clippers, so everyone—including Clippers employees taking leave—understands exactly how the pay breaks down.

“Sparrow makes sure the numbers all line up, which we really appreciate,” Ortegaso said.

“We wanted to provide our team with white glove service during their leave and it’s important to us to give them as much support during the process as we can. We feel very good about having Sparrow step in and do that for us,” Ortegaso said.

Through every stage of the leave process, including an employee’s return from leave, a Sparrow Leave Specialist acts as the point person for the employee, updating them on their benefits application and addressing questions or concerns as they pop up.

“Employee communication is probably the piece that’s been most helpful for us,” Ortegaso explained, “because we don’t have to worry about it and we know our employees are being well taken care of by the Sparrow team.”

“Sparrow helps us give that white glove service to our employees and it allows our smaller HR team to spend time getting the arena properly staffed and equipped.”

Full focus on growth and big-picture plans

With Sparrow assisting with leave tasks for the Clippers’ HR team and Clippers employees going on leave, the company has been able to dedicate the majority of their energy and time to recruiting, onboarding, and nurturing new hires.

“Sparrow helps us give that white glove service to our employees,” Ortegaso said, “and it allows our smaller HR team to spend time getting the arena properly staffed and equipped.”

“Between the two venues, everyone is really busy—the gas pedal is all the way down. So having Sparrow has allowed us to reallocate our attention toward talent acquisition, which is critical right now.”

Reach your company goals faster with Sparrow. Our full-service leave administration services free you up to focus on high-level work, without sacrificing the employee experience. Explore our offerings or book a demo today.