SDSA (BU27 and 28)

Benefits-At-A-Glance: Sworn Deputy Sheriffs' Association (SDSA)

Bargaining Units: Sworn Law Enforcement (BU27) and Sworn Law Enforcement Supervisory Unit (BU28)

This information summarizes the most common benefits available to employees represented by SDSA. For complete listings and details of these benefits, please refer to the current Memorandum of Understanding for this employee association.

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

Last Updated as of April 2024.

Healthcare Benefits	Current Rate/Eligibility Information	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 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: $900.00 (BU 27) EE Only: $975 (BU 28) 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
Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) Disability Insurance	Available to safety and specialized non-safety employees	Eligible employees can apply for short term disability under the Insurance and Benefits Trust of PORAC Benefit Plan for themselves or their beneficiaries.
Post Employment Health Plan (PEHP)	Maximum contribution: $50,000	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.
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.
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/Eligibility Information	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 Calendar Years 2022/23-2023/24: No employee pension contribution rate increases for all tiers 1% Cap for Calendar Year 2024/25: Employees' share of increases will not exceed 1% 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)	Contribution rate: 7.00%	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 and 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	457(b) Voluntary retirement savings benefit	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	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.
Personal Leave	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. Personal leave days do not rollover if not used each fiscal year.
Holidays	12 specified holidays per 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	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	Eligible employees upon approval will receive: - Advanced Sick Leave bank of up to 60 hours - Accelerated vacation accrual rate based on years of service	A lateral transfer employee is generally described as one who possesses a P.O.S.T. Basic Certificate and is currently employed as a Deputy Sheriff or a Police Officer with at least one year of continuous service as a peace officer performing general law enforcement duties. 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.
Annual Leave	12 days per year	Annual leave may be used by employees who work in a 24 hour facility or 7 day per week work function. Employees may work on the holiday and in lieu of holiday pay may take the day off at a later time.
Paid Military Leave	20 days per fiscal year	20 working days or 1 month's salary maximum when called employees are called to active duty.
Vacation Pay-in-Lieu Program	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.
Sick Leave Exchange for Vacation	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
Career Incentive Pay	POST Intermediate Cert./Associates Degree: $245 per month POST Advanced Cert./Bachelors Degree: $440 per month POST Supervisory Cert.: $570 per month (Available to BU 28 Only)	A career incentive allowance will be paid to eligible permanent full-time employees that possess the credentials listed. Allowances are non-stacking. Lateral transfer employees may be immediately eligible for any career incentive allowance should they meet the requirements.
Uniform Allowances For Deputy Sheriffs and Sheriff's Senior Deputy Only	New Hires: $500.00 onetime payment Uniform Maintenance Allowance: $75.00 per month	Employees in the Deputy Sheriff and Sheriff's Senior Deputy classifications will receive a onetime payment as a new hire for uniform purchasing, and a monthly uniform maintenance allowance.
Bilingual Pay	Intermittent Use: $100.00 per month Frequent Use: $150.00 per month $3,000 Hiring Bonuses for New Bilingual Hires	Differential paid for employees' use of bilingual skills that have been determined by the County as necessary for the effective performance of the functions of the department.
Standby Duty	$3.00 per hour	For employees assigned to standby duty. Standby duty is intended for staff who are assigned to be ready to respond in a reasonable time to calls, be readily available at all hours by telephone, or other communication devices, and refrain from activities which might impair their assigned duties upon call.
Call Back	Hourly pay or Compensating Time Off (CTO) at 1.5x rate Minimum of 2 hours paid time for each occurrence	Callback is for staff who are called back to work after a shift ends and report for duty.
Shift Differential	Evening Differential (6-11:00PM): 5% of hourly base rate of pay Night Differential (11-7:00AM): 10% of hourly base rate of pay	Employees will be paid the appropriate shift differential for each individual hour worked during the eligible time periods
Specialized Team Stipends	Stipend of $150.00 per month for membership in each specialized team listed	Members of the following specialized teams will receive a monthly stipend to compensate for the unusual time and other demands placed upon them: - Bomb Handling - Dive Team - Special Enforcement Detail (S.E.D.) Team - Tactical Negotiations Team (T.N.T.) - Search and Rescue (SAR) Team
Safety Equipment Allowance	New Hires: $1,500 onetime payment 15 years of Service: $1,500 onetime payment	The safety equipment allowance for newly hired employees is intended for employees to purchase equipment listed in County Code 2.53.010. Safety employees with fifteen years of service shall receive a one-time payment to replace or purchase additional equipment.
Canine Pay	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 special assignment.
Temporary Field Training Officer (FTO)	5% above base hourly rate for all hours worked	Increased hourly rate of pay in the event that a Deputy Sheriff is assigned to perform the functions of a Field Training Officer in absence of a Sheriff’s Senior Deputy.
Temporary Detective Assignment	$400 per month for duration of assignment	Monthly stipend in the event that a Deputy Sheriff is assigned to perform the functions of a Detective in absence of a Sheriff’s Senior Deputy.

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].