Appointed Department Heads and Elected Officials (BU 09 & 10)

Benefits-At-A-Glance: Appointed Department Heads and Elected Officials

Bargaining Units: Unrepresented Appointed Department Heads (BU09) and Elected Officials (BU10)

This information summarizes the most common benefits available to appointed department heads and elected officials. For additional information regarding some of these benefits, please refer to the current resolution for unrepresented employees.

Review the Employee Benefits webpage for more details on specific healthcare benefits.

Last Updated as of April 2024.

Healthcare Benefits	Current Rate	Description
Health Insurance	Premium rates vary by plan selection	The County of San Luis Obispo offers comprehensive medical coverage to you and your family, including several options with low co-payments and an EPO health plan, along with two dental plan options and vision coverage. Additional ancillary and voluntary insurance options are also available through your County benefits. Several benefit programs are free for employees to participate in, including Headspace and Carrum Health. For the most up-to-date information on plan offerings, visit the Employee Benefits webpage.
County Cafeteria Contribution for 2023	Monthly amounts the County contributes towards employees' medical expenses: EE Only: $975.00 EE+1: $1,175.00 EE+2 or More: $1,475.00	All permanent employees receive a monthly employer contribution toward the cost of their medical, dental, and vision expenses that varies by Bargaining Unit (BU) and dependent enrollment. If the monthly cafeteria contribution does not fully cover the cost of your medical, dental, and vision expenses, you pay your portion of premiums with pre-tax wages. The cafeteria contribution for part-time employees hired after February 25, 2005 will be prorated based on their hours worked. Enrollment in medical, dental and vision insurance is mandatory for employee only coverage. Employees may be permitted to waive medical insurance by providing proof of enrollment in other employer group medical insurance coverage.
Basic Life and AD&D Insurance	Employer-paid $50,000 Basic Life and AD&D Insurance benefit	The County offers both an employer-paid group life and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) benefit to eligible employees by Bargaining Unit (BU) and the option to purchase supplemental coverage for all employees. The County's supplemental Life and AD&D plan through Voya Financial provides coverage for you and your family.
Long Term Disability Insurance	Employer-paid long term disability benefit Plan pays 66 2/3% of monthly earnings	Long Term Disability (LTD) coverage replaces a percentage of lost income (up to a maximum monthly benefit of $10,000) due to an injury or illness that prevents performance of any job functions over an extended duration of time. This policy is designed to coordinate with CA SDI or the County’s Voluntary STD and begin paying benefits when STD coverage ends.
Short Term Disability Insurance	Plan pays 60% of weekly earnings for up to 12 weeks Maximum weekly benefit of $1,325	Short Term Disability (STD) coverage through Voya Financial replaces a percentage of lost income due to an injury, illness, or other disability that prevents performance of any job functions for a limited period of time. The cost of short-term disability insurance is paid by the employee through payroll deductions.
Post Employment Health Plan (PEHP)	Maximum contribution: $15,000 Available for BU09 Members Only County tax-free contributions of $50 per month Available for BU10 Members Only	The Post Employment Health Plan (PEHP) is designed to help you cover the cost of health care after separation from County service. Upon termination, the first portion of any sick leave payoff will be contributed directly to the individual’s PEHP Insurance Premium Reimbursement Account. This program is administered by Nationwide. The Post Employment Health Plan (PEHP) is designed to help you cover the cost of health care after separation from County service. The County contributes $50 per month to your account. After separation of service, the PEHP account can be used to pay qualified medical expenses which are not covered by health insurance. This program is administered by Nationwide.
Tax Spending and Savings Accounts	Varies by plan selection $750 annual employer contribution for HSA enrollees	The County offers options for financial accounts to help employees save money on taxes for eligible healthcare expenses. Pretax health savings accounts options include: Healthcare Flexible Spending Accounts, Dependent Care/Limited Purpose FSAs, Health Savings Accounts (HDHP only). To receive the annual employer contribution of $750, employees must enroll in the HDHP and meet the requirements for HSA eligibility.
Wellness and Development Program	Up to $500.00 reimbursement per program year	This program enables employees to improve their health, well-being, and professional development by empowering them to choose the health and education services which best suit their individual needs. Eligible services include health services, fitness equipment, fitness & recreation programs, home ergonomic equipment, childcare, and professional development.
County-Sponsored Benefits Programs	Available to employees and their dependents enrolled in County medical insurance	The County offers a wide range of free or minimal-cost benefit programs for employees enrolled in County medical insurance. These include but are not limited to: - Carrum Health- Surgery benefit at Centers of Excellence - Hinge Health- Personalized exercise therapy program - Livongo- Personalized diabetes prevention and management

Retirement Benefits	Current Rate	Description
Pension Retirement Plan	To be eligible for pension benefits, employees must be vested after five years of County employment at full-time status. Proration occurs if you work part-time or when you take leaves of absence.	The County’s pension benefit provides outstanding retirement benefits and represents a large portion of an employee's compensation. The County's pension is a defined benefit plan that provides a guaranteed monthly pension payment for life (and in most cases continuance for elected beneficiaries) based on your time in service, wages, and other factors. The pension plan is administered by the San Luis Obispo County Pension Trust (SLOCPT), an independent retirement system.
Pension Benefit Formula	Contributions deducted on biweekly basis based on age at hire, tier, and classification	Your defined benefit pension formula varies based on your bargaining unit, pension tier, and membership classification. Membership classifications are Miscellaneous (the majority of employees), Probation, or Safety. You are placed into one of three tiers based on your hire date, either Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3. New hires without any prior public service experience are placed into Tier 3.
County and Employee Pension Cost-Share Arrangement	Per the current contract agreement: Holiday for Fiscal Years 2022/23-2024/25- No employee pension contribution rate increases for all tiers	The Pension plan has a 50/50 split cost share arrangement between employees and the County for any pension rate increase as the base agreement. Additional contribution adjustments are negotiated each contract cycle, including holidays and caps to employee contribution rate increases.
Employer Paid Member Contribution (EPMC)	BU 09 Contribution Rate: 9.29% BU 10 Contribution Rate: 13.55%	The County pays the EPMC rate for a portion of the Tier 1 and Tier 2 employee Pension Trust contribution.
Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP)	Available to employees in Tier 1 only	DROP provides employees who are eligible for retirement the option to continue to work for the County after entering in to Deferred Retirement status. All employee/employer contributions to the Retirement Plan end, during which the employee's Service Retirement Allowance will be paid into a DROP account.
Health Insurance for Retired Employees	Monthly County contribution amount: $151.00	The County offers optional medical, dental and vision plans for eligible retirees in coordination with their Pension benefits. Visit the Retiree Benefits page for the most up-to-date information on available plans.
Social Security and Medicare (FICA)	Social Security Employee and Employer Paid: 6.20% (12.4% total) Medicare Employee and Employer Paid: 1.45% (2.9% total)	Both the County and employees pay FICA taxes which support federal Social Security and Medicare programs. Employees earning above $200,000 pay an additional 0.9% for Medicare.
Deferred Compensation Plan	Employer match of $.50 for every $1.00 contributed by employee County contribution annual maximum of $500	The Deferred Compensation Plan, also known as a 457(b), is a voluntary retirement plan separate from the pension plan, administered by Nationwide. You may elect to save additional money for retirement by contributing a portion of your wages to this plan, with options for contributing funds on either a pre-tax or after-tax basis (also known as the Roth option). With either option, you will be presented with a wide variety of investment options to help grow your savings through investment earnings.

Leaves Benefits	Current Rate	Description
Vacation Available for BU09 Members Only	0 through 4 years of service: 10 days per year 5 through 9 years of service: 15 days per year 10+ years: 20 days per year	Employees on initial are probation excluded. Vacation time does rollover up to a cap of 320 hours.
Administrative Leave Available for BU09 Members Only	7 days per fiscal year	Administrative leave can not be accrued and will be lost unless utilized during the given fiscal year.
Personal Leave Available for BU09 Members Only	1 day per fiscal year	Employees can have one paid day off per fiscal year for Personal leave. Employees on their initial probationary period can utilize personal leave. Employees on initial probation are excluded. Personal leave days do not rollover if not used each fiscal year.
Holidays	12 holidays each calendar year	Holidays include New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Lincoln's Birthday, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Native American Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, The day immediately following Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day
Sick Leave Available for BU09 Members Only	12 days per year 2080 hours (260 days) maximum accrual	Employees with at least 5 years of service may cash out sick leave at a rate of 50% of its regular value upon separation from County employment, up to a maximum of 720 hours.
Leave Adjustment for Newly Hired Employees with Prior Similar Experience Available for BU09 Members Only	Advanced Sick Leave bank of up to 60 hours Accelerated vacation accrual rate based on years of service	Eligible employees are those who have at least one year of prior similar experience in another public or private agency and who have less than a one year gap in prior similar experience. New hires can apply for these benefits during the onboarding process. Once approved, the employee will be receive advanced sick leave for immediate use and an accelerated vacation accrual rate.
Vacation Pay-in-Lieu Program Available for BU09 Members Only	80 hours per fiscal year	One time per fiscal year, permanent employees with a minimum balance of 80 vacation hours may cashout vacation hours
Sick Leave Exchange for Vacation Available for BU09 Members Only	80 hours of sick leave in exchange for 40 hours of vacation leave per year	Eligibility begins after 14 years of service, and participants must maintain a 30-day balance of sick leave.

Special Pays and Other Benefits	Current Rate	Description
Auto Allowance	$450.00 per month
Teleworking Benefit	Varies depending on job classification	Teleworking options may be available depending on job classification, position, and individual department policy.
Emergency Pay Available for BU09 Members Only	Straight time	Unit members working during a locally proclaimed County emergency or in response to an out-of-County mutual aid request will receive compensation for all hours worked in excess of forty hours per week after initially working 10 additional unpaid hours. After the initial 10 hours are worked, each hour worked over 40 hours per week will be paid as straight time.

If you have additional questions regarding any of these benefits, current employees can contact their assigned Payroll Coordinator, and prospective applicants can contact Human Resources at (805) 781-5959 or via email at [email protected].