Employee fringe benefits and member donations: The ultimate example

I recently visited The TwinEagles Club in Naples, Florida, and they have the best golf maintenance employee fringe benefits and member donations that I have ever seen or heard of in my entire career. The membership at this 36-hole private club, which is part of a housing development, is the kindest I have witnessed toward providing membership donations to employees. This club has very little employee turnover, as most of the year-round, full-time hourly employees have worked there for numerous years.

“TwinEagles Cares” Member Donations Initiative

Hurricane Irma Employee Relief Fund

Hourly employees received $1,000-plus in funds to help with displacement during the hurricane. Members also donated household items to help with losses after the storm. This marked the start of the vast, year-round employee member-donation program.

Household goods donations

Members began donating household items, clothing and food to all hourly employees to help with natural disasters. It has remained an ongoing, year-round project to continue donations like refrigerators, dishwashers, washers and dryers, and any other items that could be of use in employees’ homes. This has continued even without any disasters occurring, as the members like to continually help the workforce. During my visit, a large area rug, tuxedo, formal dress, ceiling fan, lamp, hats, sport coats, home accessories and trinkets were donated. Goods are collected continually all year long at the maintenance building’s director of agronomy’s office.

TwinEagles Employee Scholarship Fund

Each November through February opens the employee scholarship applications for continuing education for all TEAM Members and their dependents. This year, members donated more than $150,000 (preliminary estimate) during a member ScholarSIP Dinner Experience. They truly appreciate each employee’s efforts every day. Four employees and five employee dependents received continuing education scholarships this year through the program.

Habitat for Humanity

The membership provides help for employees to obtain Habitat for Humanity homes for their families. One family has been awarded a home thus far.

School supply drive

Each summer the membership holds a school supply drive for the hourly employees. The donations include school supplies and gift cards to cover all supplies for the upcoming school year. Collier County provides the school supply list for the employees and their children to choose from. There’s no set limit.

Christmas present drive

All full-time employees provide a list of desired Christmas gifts for their children in the true spirit of gift giving. TwinEagles member families adopt employee families to provide items on the wish lists, which are then distributed a few days before Christmas. Gifts normally total $250 or more.

Food stipend

Each golf course maintenance employee receives freshly cooked hot meals daily in the golf maintenance building employee lunchroom, which also has a free soda fountain dispenser. When the clubhouse was being renovated, each employee received a $100 monthly gift card food stipend.

COVID-19 time off

During the pandemic, the membership gave all employees two weeks paid time off to help take care of their families. This alleviated the financial worry and stress of family affairs.

Employee Fringe Benefits

Group medical, dental and vision insurance

Full-time, year-round TEAM Members may participate in the health insurance plan subject to all terms and conditions of the agreement between TwinEagles and the insurance carrier. The club pays for a portion of the cost for each individual TEAM member. Additional medical coverage is available for dependents subject to terms and conditions.

401(k) savings plan

TwinEagles has established a 401(k) savings plan to provide TEAM Members over the age of 21 with the potential for future financial security for retirement. The 401(k) savings plan allows them to elect how much salary and wages they wish to contribute so they can tailor their own retirement package. Employees must complete at least six months of service before being eligible to enroll in the program.  

TwinEagles provides matching funds up to 4 percent. The maximum amount funded per year is approximately $27,000 for employees 52 years old and under and $30,000 for employees over 52.

Employee referral bonus

An employee receives $150 upon each applicant hired, with an additional $150 bonus paid after successful completion of the new employee working 90 days.

Holiday pay

Full-time and part-time TEAM Members are entitled to the following seven paid holidays immediately upon hiring: New Year’s Day, Easter, Labor Day, Independence Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. If a holiday is worked, an employee receives holiday pay plus overtime pay if they worked more than 40 hours per week. 

Paid Time Off

The TwinEagles Club, Inc., believes that restful and relaxed time away from work benefits both the TEAM Members and the club and, in some instances, is needed due to circumstances out of anyone’s control.

PTO is available to full-time, year-round TEAM Members to use for vacation(s), personal use and/or sick time. Accrual of PTO hours begins on the first day of service for eligible team members and may be used right away, upon approval from the TEAM Mem- ber’s supervisor, using the following accrual schedule:

• New hire (non-exempt) 1.85 hours biweekly — 48 hours max
• New hire (exempt) 3.08 hours biweekly — 80 hours max
• After first anniversary 3.39 hours biweekly — 88 hours total
• After second anniversary 3.39 hours biweekly — 88 hours total
• After third anniversary 4.93 hours biweekly — 128 hours total
• PTO does not accumulate from year to year.
• Employees may borrow up to their maximum number of hours ahead of time.

Short-term disability

Short-term disability insurance is offered for all full-time, year-round eligible TEAM Members. This policy provides pay continuation for extended periods of time. Special rules apply.  

Life insurance

Full-time, year-round TEAM Members are eligible for a set amount of life insurance paid for by the club. Full-time, year-round TEAM Members are also eligible to purchase additional life insurance. Coverage is available at attractive rates during open enrollment. $25,000 is provided by TwinEagles and employees can buy up to $250,000.

Meals

Full-time and part-time TEAM Members are provided in-house hot meals when working. Hot meals are provided during lunchtime on weekdays and also when working on weekends. 

Uniforms

Full-time and part-time TEAM Members are provided with five sets of shirts, five sets of pants and a cap at golf course maintenance. Employees are responsible for laundering.