The Villages Employee perks
 

I was talking with a Villages employee the other day and he told me that Villages employees get everything we pay for in our activity fee each month free as a perk for working for The Villages.

So if you didn't get a tee time, maybe a Villages employee did. The person in the pool next to you may get the use of the pool as part of their compensation package.

Can't do anything about it, but I don't know if it quite sits right with me.

What are your thoughs?

He must be a very "special" employee because I know plenty of folks that work for the villages & not a one gets any special treatment ! Better check your source!

If it holds down cost maybe I can digest that.

There are a lot of village employees that are not getting those perks.
Did this one have too much to drink??

it's ok with me.....I am a Disney Cast Member,and we get Disney perks and some tickets we can give to friends and a discount on merchandise and dining. I think these sort of incentives are important to get good and loyal employees.

Connie

If this is a fact and all of the Village employees do get this....I think that is fantastic!! What a great perk and incentive to work for TV. Sorry, I find your statement questionable to say the least.

I agree with Bosox.

I am only repeating what the fellow told me. I don't think he has any reason to lie about it. He does not live in TV, BTW. He lives in Leesburg.

Aren't most of them paid minimum wage? If it is true that the TV employees are offered perks I say more power to them. :)

This is what I feel is a "better than though" statement.

Dirigo, do you know what his position is with TV? If he is fairly high up in management, could it be that he gets this benefit and just assumes all TV employees get it? I could be wrong, but I suspect if you asked all Villages employees if they got this benefit, you would get some snickers.

I have a hard time believing this one. The amenity fee is assessed for rooftops and the management and budget for that is separate from the developer. Sounds too much like commingling of accounts to allow non resident employees to use amenity supported facilities.

It would be interesting to know exactly what type of employee he was... Golf, country club, rec center, sales, property management, etc.

The Developer owns champ golf courses and country clubs, so, perhaps, some of his select employees get privileges at those private businesses.

There may be a small kernal of truth to this but I don't think it is as absolute as "all" Villages employees can partake of all amenities.

JMHO, of course. A call to Janet Tutt's office would produce a factual answer.

If it is true... good for them !

:cold:It wouldn't sit right with me either, what gives managerment the right to give away what residents PAY FOR, just to make them look good. They could well afford to pay a good wage.:spoken:

"Villages employee" is a very broad definition. Is he an employee of the developer, CDD, VCDD, property management, local restaurant, etc.? Are we talking large numbers of eligible people?

Here are my thoughts. I think I will contact those in authority and get to the bottom of this. I will post back here as soon as I have any meaningful information. Meanwhile I respectfully ask the Admins to put a hold on this thread as it has the potential of getting way out of hand.

I am a village employee and this is the first I have heard of this. Dang...I must be missing out!!
I pay my amenities fees just like all of you. I get no preferential treatment on golf courses...I have been bumped on several occasions. I have never been informed of any perks such as mentioned.

I worked full time for The Villages for over 3 years and we did not receive any of those perks. We did receive a small discount at Southern Lifestyles and Kindred Spirits - but were not able to use the amenities, golf courses, or pools.

Employees of TV
 

If they are working to make TV better why not let them have some perks.

Telco employees used to receive a discount on their telephone service. Airline employees get a break on air travel. Automobile manufacturer's employees used to get a discount on car purchases. Some restaurant employees get a discount on meals. It used to be called additional non salary compensation. I think it is fair for these "Village" employees and not unlike what has been acceptable in other businesses.

I received a very quick answer when I questioned the validity of the claim.

No District employee or employee of the Developer is allowed to use amenities unless they are residents (a vast majority of the employees are residents). Other employees, including the District Manager, are not. The individual who claims they have privileges may have found a way to beat the system. However if the District were to find that to be the case there would be appropriate actions taken.

That is the answer I received. However, I might add, it appears if the name of the subject non resident/employee amenity user were known his job would be in jeopardy.

Live next to a manager of one of the country clubs and he gets none of those perks.But if he did ,the more power to him.TV should offer them some benefits for working so hard to make your lives in TV sooooooooooo enjoyable.

Have never heard that...and I do know some folks who work for T.V.! If it is true, and I'm not sure it is, I think it's fine as these folks live among us and probably get paid minimum wage. I'd probably want to work here too if the perks you describe are part of the deal.

I sent an email earlier this evening to Janet Tutt, District Manager.

Rather than going off half cocked with these wild accusations, maybe it would be better to get your facts straight first.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Is it true all or some Villages employees enjoy the
same access to the amenities as residents?
Thanks in advance.


Her response.

Thanks for contacting me. The answer is no. Of course the vast majority of employees are residents. However, the rest, including myself, do not have access. Appreciate your helping to get the facts. Have a great night. Janet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I find it sad that someone would resent another person getting a break. It appears that the whole thing is untrue but the idea that someone would be offended by an employee being able to use the facilities as part of their employment package is offensive to me. The amenity fee is what? $135, 140 per month...Heaven forbid that someone swimming next to me in the pool got away without paying this. Frankly, i'm planning on spending the rest of my life enjoying the lifestyle without looking to make sure that no one is getting away without paying 'their share'. In the immortal words of Rhett Butler...'frankly..I don't give a damn'..:D

Nicely stated Trish!! I agree with you completely.

Maybe they volunteer their time, and in that case they should get a few perks:coolsmiley:

I heard that another perk is an extended happy hour! LOL!

Good to get to the heart of the matter. And Trish is right.

If you work for the Golf Administration you do get discounts on golf but no special treatment. this whole thread sounds like "whisper down the lane"...

However the truth was told and it should end the thread......

At one time in the past, I think by a real estate agent, I was told employees had some benefits. It was Villages school for their children, free checking at Citizens or some other discount there as I think all checking is free, discount on golf as a non resident, discount on home mortgage by one half percent, discounts at Villages owned retail places (Southern Lifestyles, Villages Golf Carts, etc.) and a couple other things which I forget now. If they live in The Villages, they pay the same fees and get the same perks as everyone. Most employers provide employees some type of discount on the products they sell. I still get discounts on IBM products as a retired employee. Just bought this new laptop from Lenovo which IBM sold 10 years ago, but they retained the employee discount accessibility.

So I guess getting a free pass on the Amenities fee might be a stretch, as that is supposed to be resident based and controlled by the over 55 retirement community rules, but giving employees perks is a well established business practice. Free amenities would probably create other issues like how do you handle employee children and tee time priority to mention a couple. So my guess is they do get perks, but I bet it is not free amenities.

Thats a sure bet................see post #23..

So it appears that this employee was pulling my leg. I have to wonder why he would lie about something like that?

I won't reveal his name or position because I like the guy and I wouldn't want him to get into trouble.

Don't they get to go to Katie Belle's? I won't tell the source but I know for a fact they go and not a resident.

There are many times ID's are not checked at Katie Belle's, for example Saturday morning at the breakfast buffet.

That the official answer?

Nope.:wave:

Does no one read all of the posts? See my posts #15 and #20.

I read them all including your #15 and #20. My question was quite specific. Katie Belle's. Are there any type of TV, or Developer employee with privileges to that establishment?

My understanding is that the breakfast buffet is open to all.

I do, I read posts #15 and #20. And Bogie's too from Janet Tutt. This thread will continue, but the issue is resolved. I don't know why I know it will, but it will.