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Introduction
As a benefited City employee, you are entitled to a wide
range of benefits. Benefit options and cost are associated
with your bargaining unit and benefit status (i.e. Full
time, ½ Time, or ¾ Time). The Human Resources Department can
assist you in interpreting benefit options and cost. For
detailed information on benefit options and costs, please
visit the Benefits page on the City’s website.
Group Health Insurance
You have the option of enrolling in various group health
insurance plans. If you wish to participate, you and your
eligible dependents must enroll within the first 30 days of
benefited employment with the City. If your hire date is the
1st, 2nd or 3rd of the month, then benefits become effective
the 1st of the following month; if your hire date is the 4th
through the end of the month, then benefits are effective
the first of the month following 30 days of employment.
If you are adding or deleting a dependent (i.e. spouse,
registered domestic partner, newborn or adopted child)
outside of the initial open enrollment period, the addition
or deletion must be made within 30 days of the qualifying
event. If the deadline is missed, you must wait until open
enrollment to add or delete dependent (s).
Your biweekly benefit premiums will depend on the coverage
type (Single, 2-Party or Family), plan selection and benefit
status (i.e. Full time, ½ Time, or ¾ Time). The City pays a
major portion of the premium. The City provides an open
enrollment period once a year, usually in the month of
November, at which time you may change plan selection if you
so desire. For detailed information on benefit options and
costs, please visit the Benefits page on the City’s website.
Group Dental Insurance
There are several dental insurance plans available for
you and your eligible dependents. As with health insurance,
if you wish to participate, you and your eligible dependents
must enroll within the first 30 days of benefited employment
with the City. If your hire date is the 1st, 2nd or 3rd of a
month, then benefits become effective the 1st of the
following month; if your hire date is the 4th through the
end of the month, then benefits are effective the first of
the month following 30 days of employment.
If you are adding or deleting a dependent (spouse,
registered domestic partner, newborn or adopted child) the
addition or deletion must be made within 30 days of the
qualifying event. If the deadline is missed, you must wait
until open enrollment to add or delete dependent(s).
Your biweekly benefit premiums will depend on the coverage
type (Single, 2-Party or Family), plan selection and benefit
status (i.e. Full time, ½ Time, or ¾ Time). The City pays a
major portion of the premium. The City provides an open
enrollment period once a year, usually in the month of
November, at which time you may change plan selection if you
so desire. For detailed information on benefit options and
costs, please visit the Benefits page on the City’s website.
Life Insurance
The City provides and pays the full cost of providing for
term life insurance for all benefited employees. The life
insurance benefit provides a lump sum benefit to your
beneficiaries in the event of your death. The amount
provided varies according to your bargaining unit. For
detailed information on benefit options and costs, please
visit the Benefits page on the City’s website.
State Disability Insurance
All benefited City employees in the General,
Confidential, and Refuse bargaining units are covered by
State Disability Insurance (SDI) for illness or injuries
that are not job related. SDI and sick leave are to be used
in combination until sick leave is exhausted so that an
employee does not receive more than 100% of salary. The City
currently pays a major portion of the premium associated
with this program. After the seventh day of injury or
illness, the employee is eligible to receive SDI benefits.
To file a claim, an SDI form may be obtained from the State
Employment Development Department (EDD).
A physician must complete the doctor's certification portion
and the claim must be filed with the State within 49 days of
the illness or injury. SDI benefit checks must be endorsed
by you and submitted to the Finance Division, Payroll
Section in order to comply with the legal requirements of
the program and the SDI Buy Back Program. For detailed
information, please visit the Benefits page on the City’s
website.
Long Term Disability Insurance
Management and IBEW Supervisory employees can elect to
enroll in the City’s LTD program. All IBEW members are
automatically enrolled in the City’s LTD program. For
questions regarding the LTD program, please visit the
Benefits page on the City’s website. For all Police and Fire
bargaining units, please contact your bargaining unit
representative for more details on long-term disability plan
options.
Beneficiaries
If you are a benefited City employee, the City will pay
out financial compensation to your designated beneficiaries
in the event of your death. Some of the benefits that your
beneficiaries may be entitled to include the following:
• Life Insurance: Value varies by bargaining unit
• Retirement: California Public Employees’ Retirement System
(CalPERS)
• Deferred Compensation: Value is based on account balance
• Final Compensation: Hours worked in pay period and
applicable accrual payoffs
The Human Resources Department, Benefits Division recommends
updating your beneficiary records when a family status
change occurs (i.e., birth, divorce, marriage). Forms to
update beneficiaries are available on the web or by
contacting the Human Resources Department, Benefits
Division. Completed beneficiary forms must be returned to
the appropriate vendor for processing.
As a reminder, please ensure your employee association and
credit union beneficiary records are kept up-to-date.
Workers' Compensation
California law requires that employers provide certain
benefits to those who suffer a work related injury. The City
is self-insured and self-administered for Workers'
Compensation Benefits. All claims are handled through the
Workers Compensation office which is part of the Finance
Division of the City Manager’s Office. The telephone number
is (951) 826-5559.
Any on-the-job injury, no matter how minor, is to be
reported to the supervisor immediately after the injury
occurs. Failure to do so may result in loss of benefits. The
Supervisor will provide the injured employee with the
Employee’s Claim form for Workers’ Compensation Benefits
(DWC-1) within 24 hours of notice of injury.
For those injuries requiring medical attention during
regular office hours, contact the Workers' Compensation
Office between the hours of 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday. During weekends, or outside regular office
hours, seek treatment at the nearest hospital Emergency
Room. In the event of a critical injury, call 911 (or 9911
within the City phone system) for emergency treatment.
Deferred Compensation
As a benefited City employee, you are eligible to
participate in the Deferred Compensation Program. If you
participate, you choose the amount you wish to invest in the
plan of your choice and your contributions are deferred on a
pre-tax basis. You can stop, start, increase or decrease
contribution amounts anytime throughout the year. The
minimum amount that may be deferred each pay period is
$10.00. The annual maximum is subject to change, please
contact the Human Resources Department for details.
Depending upon the bargaining unit, a City contribution may
be received by those deferring income. Executives have the
additional option of deferring income under a 401(a) Plan.
Some restrictions apply. You pay no federal or state taxes
on these deferred salary dollars and they accumulate in the
plan tax-free. You only pay taxes when you retire and/or
start to withdraw your funds. These unique features are the
reason this plan is called a “ Deferred Compensation Plan.”
As a participant, you will enjoy these benefits:
• By lowering taxes, you will have more net spendable income
• Your funds will accumulate faster without the tax
liability
Plan withdrawals or retirement income may be taken at
retirement, disability, death or at termination of
employment. The plans also offer loan and emergency
withdrawal options. Contact the Human Resources Department,
Benefits Division or your deferred compensation
representative for more details.
125 Flexible Spending Plan
The City offers a Flexible Spending Plan with two options
to choose from: 1) Dependent Care Account and/or 2) Health
Care Expense Account. With the Dependent Care Option
eligible dependent care expenses are those that enable you
and your spouse, if you are married, to work or attend
school full-time. Services must be for children under age 13
or for dependents of any age who are physically or mentally
incapable of caring for themselves. As for the Health Care
Expenses Option, you can use it to pay for eligible expenses
for yourself and your dependents (up to age 26).
Eligible expenses include medical, dental, and vision
expenses not covered by other insurance plans, such as
deductibles, co-pays, chiropractic, acupuncture, contact
lenses, and prescribed medical supplies. A comprehensive
list of allowable expenses is available on the City’s
Benefits website. Estimate with care because the IRS has a
strict “ Use It or Lose It” rule that applies to the
Flexible Spending Account. You should not contribute more
than you expect to use for eligible expenses during the
calendar year. Any money remaining in your accounts at the
end of the calendar year after all claims have been filed
must be forfeited.
You can enroll in the plan when you are initially hired as a
benefited employee or during Open Enrollment (November). You
decide how much you want to contribute to either or both
accounts. You cannot change your contribution amounts during
the plan year unless you have a qualifying status change
(i.e. marriage, child’s birth or an adoption of a new
dependent). The City helps you stretch the value of your
health care dollars by deducting your premiums for
Medical/Dental on a pre-tax basis automatically at no cost.
For detailed information on benefit options and costs,
please visit the Benefits page on the City’s website.
California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS)
As a benefited City employee, you are automatically
covered under a City-sponsored Retirement Plan offered and
arranged through one of the largest Retirement Systems in
the world, the California Public Employees’ Retirement
System (CalPERS).
You may start to receive your monthly retirement benefits at
your normal retirement age, upon becoming disabled, etc.,
provided you have met the minimum requirements, such as five
years of service and age 50. In addition to normal
retirement benefits, the plan also provides death benefits,
survivor benefits, disability retirement, early retirement
and deferred retirement.
Benefits and retirement formulas vary among City employee
groups, so be sure to check your benefit insert, your
CalPERS benefit booklet, or the
CalPERS website for specific retirement plan
details. The City does not participate in the Social
Security System but does participate in Medicare.
Should you separate from City employment prior to completing
5 years of service vested in CalPERS, the amount contributed
on your behalf (employee’s share) will be returned to you by
CalPERS. Other options will be discussed during your
separation processing with the Human Resources Department.
As you begin thinking about starting your retirement
processing, we encourage you to contact the Human Resources
Department, Benefits Division, or the local CalPERS office
in San Bernardino at (888) 225-7377 for further information.
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