Hilton Head restaurants launch zero-cost health care program for staff
Full-time employees at two Hilton Head Island restaurants and one Bluffton restaurant are now able to cross one major expense off their list as FISH Casual Coastal Seafood and Local Pie will now provide health care at no cost to staffers working 30 or more hours per week.
Lee Lucier, chief operating officer of the Richardson Group, which owns FISH at Coligny Plaza and Local Pie on the South End and in Old Town Bluffton, said his team has wanted to offer staff health care for a number of years, but not many were interested. The staff is largely young.
“In the last couple of years, there’s been different kinds of health plans [introduced],” he said. “This is just an individual plan, more focused on ... preventative care. It really matches the majority demographics of our team members.”
Forty-five employees are eligible for the program so far, but Lucier expects that number to rise as more people are hired at the restaurants. New employees will have to make it through a 60-day “probationary period” before enrolling, though.
“We think it’s the best we can do for them,” Lucier said. “It’s far better than them having nothing. ... For a wellness plan, we think it’s great.”
According to a press release, the benefits include 24/7 telemedicine; annual wellness check-ups; low-cost generic prescription plan; full dental plan; full eye plan; catastrophic health plan; and office visits with a co-pay.
The program will not be paid for with deductions from employees’ paychecks, the press release states. The cost varies depending on the employee.
“We are excited with the great business support of local community, we can provide this benefit to our team,” said J.R. Richardson, owner of the Richardson Group.
According to a March 2020 report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 87% of full-time civilian workers nationwide were offered medical care benefits, compared to 23% of part-time workers. The uptake rate for full-time workers was 72%, while for part-time workers, it was 50%.
Under the Affordable Care Act, employers with 50 or more full-time employees are required to offer health care to at least 95% of their full-time workers and their dependents.
Robin DiPietro, director of the University of South Carolina’s International Institute for Foodservice Research and Education, said that while she has not seen many restaurants offer zero-cost health care plans, she believes it will become more common as restaurants look for new ways to attract and retain workers during the post-COVID staffing crisis.
“I would not doubt if this is going to become a more progressive trend,” DiPietro said. “Higher wages, great. Zero-cost insurance, even better. Especially if you’re an older employee, 21, 22, and you’re not on your parents’ insurance, that’s a great benefit.”
