Benefits

The City offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to provide a range of choices to fit your needs and the needs of your family.

Retirement Benefits

Employees become a member of the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) and earn service credit that counts toward retirement eligibility.

Basic Life Insurance

A natural death benefit equal to twice your annual salary is provided to you for free; for accidental death, the benefit is the natural death benefit doubled. Under certain circumstances, supplemental coverage such as dismemberment, safety belt, repatriation, and felonious assault benefits may apply. Administered through the Virginia Retirement System, the group policy is issued by Minnesota Life. Within 31 days of your termination date, the policy can be converted to a private policy.

Optional Life Insurance

Gives you an opportunity to purchase additional life insurance for yourself and your family. Employees must enroll within 31 days of their hiring date or otherwise, must complete a Health Status form. You may purchase coverage for one, two, three, or four times your salary up to a maximum of $600,000. Insurance is available for an employee's spouse and children: spouses are eligible for up to 50% of the maximum amount of members' optional group life insurance coverage not to exceed $300,000. Minor children who are at least 15 days of age may be covered in increments of $10,000, $20,000, or $30,000, depending on the level of coverage selected; one premium covers all children. The premium is based on your salary, level of coverage selected, and age. Employees who take normal retirement may continue a portion of optional life. If both you and your spouse are eligible for Optional Life as employees, you may not elect spouse coverage. Likewise, either you or your spouse, not both, may elect coverage for your children.

Deferred Compensation Plan

You may set aside a portion of your earnings into a retirement investment program through a 457 Deferred Compensation Plan administered by ICMA-RC. Your deduction is not subject to federal and state taxes until you withdraw the money, usually at retirement. You may enroll in the plan or make changes in your deferral at any time during the year. The maximum deferral is set by the Internal Revenue Service.

Medical Insurance

Group health insurance is provided through Aetna; eligible dependents may also be covered. The City contributes toward the cost of coverage and new employees must select coverage within 30 days of employment. Changes in coverage may be made once a year except where there is a qualifying event.

Dental Insurance

Employees may enroll in voluntary dental benefits through the Delta Dental Plan of Virginia. Major and orthodontics services are subject to a 12-month waiting period from the employee's effective date. Employees have an opportunity to add or drop coverage once a year.

Vision Care

After a co-pay, Anthem Blue View Vision provides voluntary vision care to eligible employees. The program provides a co-pay for an annual eye exam including prescription lenses, frames once every twelve months, or contact lenses (in lieu of spectacle lenses and frames) once every twelve months.

Supplemental Benefits

Employees can elect to enroll in supplemental benefits. The benefits available include short-term and long-term disability, accident insurance, critical illness, cancer insurance, and permanent life insurance. Some of these benefits are guaranteed issue when they are first offered to you.

Section 125 Benefit Plan

You can save taxes on the money paid toward certain group-sponsored benefit premiums. Eligible benefit contributions are automatically deducted from your salary before taxes are taken out. Your taxable income is reduced by the amount you contribute, so you pay less in taxes and have more take-home pay. Changes may be made annually unless there is a qualifying event. To waive the pre-tax benefit, please contact Human Resources.

Leave Time

Annual Leave

Employees earn annual leave (vacation) time based on their length of continuous service. The amount earned starts at eight hours per month for the first four years and increases by two hours each month at five, ten, fifteen, and twenty-year milestones. Employees cease to earn annual leave after specific maximum amounts have been accumulated but not taken.

Sick Leave

Employees earn sick leave at the rate of eight hours per month. Employees cease to earn sick leave after specific maximum amounts have been accumulated but not taken.

Family Medical Leave

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 assists eligible employees in the care of newborn or newly adopted children and provides for absences to care for themselves, a child, a parent, or a spouse faced with a serious health condition. Eligible employees are entitled to up to 12 weeks of job-protected, unpaid leave during any 12-month period for qualifying events.

BEreavement or Death Leave

Up to three working days of bereavement or death leave is available to be used when there is a death in the immediate family.

Holidays

The City observes the following paid holidays per year:

• New Year's Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Washington's Birthday
• Memorial Day
• Juneteenth
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Columbus Day
• Veteran's Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Day after Thanksgiving
• Christmas Day

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Confidential counseling for both work and non-work-related problems is available to employees and their dependents through Optima EAP, the City's Employee Assistance Program. The telephone number is 800-899-8174.

Miscellaneous Benefits

Educational Incentive

Subject to prior approval from your department director, you may be reimbursed up to $1,250 per fiscal year for tuition and required textbook expenses for coursework directly related to your position or for the completion of a GED.

Direct Deposit

As a matter of convenience, employees may choose to have their monthly paycheck directly deposited into their regular or savings account.

Credit Union

Employees may join the Virginia Credit Union and participate in a variety of savings, loan, and other financial programs.

Health & Wellness

The Wellness program encourages employee health and well-being through fitness and health promotion activities. The City has a fitness facility on the lower level of City Hall. Annual health care screenings and other related health and wellness initiatives are provided.

Service Awards

The City recognizes that long, stable service is a benefit both to the citizens we serve and to the organization. To recognize City employees who have reached a specific landmark in their career, and to show appreciation to the employee for his/her continued service, eligible individuals receive a cash award after five years of continuous employment and in subsequent five-year increments. Cash amounts range in value from $150 to $2,500.

YMCA

A reduced membership in the YMCA is available for employees and their immediate family members. Dues are payroll deducted and employees can enroll, make changes, or end their membership at any time.