Hilton Head’s largest restaurant group rolls out paid vacation plan for hourly workers
Hilton Head’s largest restaurant group, which employs about 1,200 people and operates more than a dozen restaurants, has a new policy that allows its employees, including those working part time, to accrue paid leave as they work.
The Southeastern Entertainment Restaurant Group (SERG) started the program Jan. 1. Hourly employees who have worked for SERG for at least one year will earn one hour of paid vacation time for every 40 hours they work.
Jordan Norris, a human resources manager at SERG, said 128 restaurant group employees are salaried and already earn paid leave.
According to a March 2020 report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 39% of part-time civilian workers receive paid vacation, compared to 87% of full-time workers.
Robin DiPietro, director of the University of South Carolina’s International Institute for Foodservice Research and Education, said SERG’s move is fairly unique among small restaurant groups. She said some larger chains, including McDonalds and Starbucks, offer similar benefits.
DiPietro welcomed the move, saying it gives SERG a competitive advantage, which could help the company improve its employee base.
“This gives them a chance to really set themselves apart and create this higher bar,” DiPietro said.
It is unclear how common paid leave for hourly workers is on Hilton Head. An official from South Carolina’s Department of Employment and Workforce said employers do not report information about paid leave to the department.
An official with a local hiring agency said Hilton Head has struggled for years to maintain a large enough workforce, largely because workers lack affordable housing and reliable transportation.
And with staff in and out of work due to COVID, the pandemic has only exacerbated the staffing problem, said the official, who declined to be identified.
“I do think everybody’s preparing for the big push” going into the summer, he said. “It’s just really tough out there.”
Skylar Ganzel, a junior sous chef at Hilton Head’s WiseGuys, has been working for SERG for nearly four years and stands to benefit from the new program. The terms of her employment did not previously include paid time off.
“I didn’t know they were actually going to do it, or that they were actually going to do it so soon,” Ganzel said. “But with all that’s been happening over the last year and a half, everybody’s kind of generous right now.”
Editor’s note: A video from Hilton Head Social Bakery erroneously attached to this story was unrelated to SERG. We apologize for any confusion.
This story was originally published January 29, 2021 at 4:35 AM.
