Monthly amounts the County contributes towards employees' medical expenses:

Employee (EE) Only: $850.00

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 7, 2006 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

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. 

County-Sponsored Benefits Programs

The County offers a wide range of free or minimal-cost benefit programs for employees who are 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

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.

Per the current contract agreement:

For Fiscal Year (FY) 2022/23 for all Tiers, employee pension contribution rates will receive a 1.50% reduction

For FY2023/24 for all tiers, no employee pension contribution rate increases for all tiers (holiday)

For FY2024/25 for all tiers, employee pension contribution rates will receive a 1.50% reduction

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, reductions and caps to employee contribution rate increases. 

Employer Paid Member Contribution (EPMC)

(AKA Employer Pick-Up)

Safety Members Contribution rate: 7.00%

Non-Safety Members Contribution Rate: 4.20%

Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) 

Social Security

Employee and Employer Paid: 6.20% (12.4% total)

Medicare

Employee and Employer Paid: 1.45% (2.9% total)

Deferred Compensation Plan

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 probation are excluded. Vacation time does rollover up to a cap of 320 hours.

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

12 days per year

1440 hours (180 days) maximum accrual

Dispatchers Only:  2080 hours (260 days) maximum accrual

Employees with at least 5 years of service may cashout sick leave at a rate of 50% of its regular value upon separation from County employment, up to a maximum of 720 hours. 

0-180 days: 1/2 accrued sick leave at employees' rate of pay

181-260 days: No sick payoff for time accrued in excess of 180 days

Advanced Sick Leave bank of up to 60 hours

Accelerated vacation accrual rate based on years of service

40 hours per fiscal year

One time per fiscal year, permanent employees with a minimum balance of 200 vacation hours may cashout vacation hours.

Additionally, employees must have used 40 hours of vacation in the current fiscal year. 

POST Intermediate Cert./Associates Degree: $150 per month

POST Advanced Cert./Bachelors Degree: $300 per month

POST Supervisory Cert./STC Supervisory Cert.: $400 per month (Available to BU 14 Only)

Intermittent Use: $100.00 per month

Frequent Use: $150.00 per month

Sheriff's Cadets & Correctional Deputies: $1,200 onetime payment

Dispatchers: $500 onetime payment

Forensic Specialists: $500 onetime payment

Safety Equipment Allowance

For Safety employees in BUs03 and 14 only

New Hires: $1,500 onetime payment

15 years of Service: $1,500 onetime payment

$25.00 per month

For Dispatchers only

Hourly pay or Compensating Time Off (CTO) at 1.5x rate

Minimum of 2 hours paid time for each occurrence

Call back is for staff who are called back to work after a shift ends and report for duty. 

Evening differential : 5% of employee's hourly base rate of pay

Night differential: 10% of employee's hourly base rate of pay

Members of the Dive Team will receive a monthly stipend to compensate for the time and demands of this role. 

Canine Care Pay: $22.50 per hour; 7 hours per week

Canine Specialty Assignment Pay: Monthly Stipend of $200 per month

An employee assigned a County canine by the Sheriff and who bards the canine at their home will receive Canine Care Pay for compensable canine care activities, and Specialty Assignment Pay for their assignment.