Benefits

Benefits Overview


The City of University City offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to provide a variety of choices to best fit the needs of our employees and their families.

An employee's deductions for medical and dental premiums, flexible spending accounts, deferred compensation, and the City's retirement plans are all taken on a pre-tax basis. This means that before federal, state, and Social Security taxes are calculated and deduced from an employee's pay, these qualified deductions are taken resulting in reduced gross pay and tax calculations.

Medical Insurance


The City currently offers Anthem BlueCross BlueShield to employees. Employees may elect to have their coverage effective the first day employment or otherwise during open enrollment. Open enrollment is held in May of each year with a July 1 effective date of coverage.

Currently, 85% of the premium is paid by the City for individual coverage, and 75% of the premium is paid by the City for other tiers including family coverage.

Domestic Partner benefits are available - same or opposite sex.

Dental and Vision Insurance


The City offers a voluntary dental and vision plans for employees through MetLife. MetLife has a wide network of professional providers. 

Section 125 Plan


Sometimes known as a Flexible Spending Plan, allows you to pay for certain medical and dental and dependent care expenses on a pre-tax basis. By paying these expenses with pre-tax dollars, you are taxed on a lower gross salary, thereby saving money that would otherwise be spent on federal, state, and FICA taxes.

Employee Educational Assistance


Tuition reimbursement is available to all full-time city employees. Up to $750 per fiscal year is available for courses and books directly job-related from accredited institutions for non-uniform full-time employees. Tuition reimbursement is also available to uniformed employees.

Pension


The Non-Uniformed Employee Retirement Plan requires participation by all full-time employees of the City and Library. This is a defined benefit plan where employees contribute 3% of their salary to the plan. Vesting occurs after ten years of service. Full retirement benefits may be received at age 65 with at least ten years of service, or age 62 with at least 30 years of service. Full retirement benefits for vested employees are calculated as follows: Final average compensation (greatest 3 years of most recent 10 years) multiplied by 1.6% (the benefit factor) multiplied by years of service. Early retirement is also available and is actuarially calculated.

The Police and Fire Retirement Plan requires participation by all sworn officers of the Police and Fire Departments. This is a hybrid plan: defined contribution (401a) and defined benefit. Employees contribute 5% of their salary to their defined contribution account which is 100% vested from day one. Vesting for the defined benefit plan occurs after 10 year of service at which time a lump sum City payment is contributed to the employees' 401a account. Full retirement benefits may be received at age 50 with 25 years of service. A full retirement benefit for vested employees is equivalent to the employee's defined contribution account balance at the time of retirement plus an offset defined benefit amount which is actuarially calculated.

457 Deferred Compensation Plan


As a public employee, you have a unique opportunity to supplement your retirement income. Utilizing the voluntary 457 retirement plan, you may invest through automatic payroll deductions. In a Section 457 deferred compensation plan you save pre-tax dollars. Pre-tax contributions are funds contributed before federal, and in most cases state and local, income taxes are withheld. Your contributions and your earnings are not taxed while you let them grow.

Life Insurance


A $100,000 death benefit full-time employees is provided under an insured arrangement with the premiums paid by the Pension Plans. This benefit is effective the first day of employment. Further details are covered in the life insurance booklet.

Long Term Disability


Disability benefits for full-time employees of up to 67% of compensation are provided under an insured arrangement with the premiums paid by the Pension Plans. Elimination period of this benefit is 90 days. Further details are covered in the Long Term Disability Insurance booklet.

Holidays


  • New Year's Day (January 1st)
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Third Monday in January)
  • President's Day (Third Monday in February)
  • Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)
  • Juneteenth (June 19th)
  • Independence Day (July 4th)
  • Labor Day (First Monday in September)
  • Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday in November)
  • Day after Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Friday in November)
  • Christmas Day (December 25th)
Commissioned police personnel and dispatchers are receiving nine (9) personal days in lieu of holiday pay.

Vacation Leave


An employee must complete six months of continuous service from his/her hire date before vacation leave may be utilized. Vacation leave will be earned during this six-month period, but may not be taken. Vacation leave may be used only after earned. Vacation days for employees on a 40 hours per week work schedule are accrued monthly, and determined by the length of service as follows:

Years of Service


1 through 5
6 through 10
11 through 20
21 and over

Annual Vacation

Three calendar weeks
Three weeks + 1 day
Three weeks + 3 days
Four weeks + 4 days

Number of Days


15
16
18
24

Vacation leave is computed on a proportionate basis for eligible employees whose average workweek is more or less than 40 hours.

Sick Leave


Sick leave with pay shall be granted to all regular employees at the rate of eight (8) hours per month for each full month of service. Sick leave may be used only after earned. Sick leave is computed on a proportionate basis for eligible employees whose average workweek is more or less than 40 hours. Fire personnel who work a 56 hour work week accrue sick leave at a rate of twelve (12) hours per month. 

Family and Medical Leave (FMLA)


The Federal Family and Medical Leave Act provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job protected family and medical leave to employees for qualifying family and medical reasons. Employees are eligible if they have been employed with the City for at least 12 months and worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12 month period preceding the FMLA leave request.

Injury Leave and Worker's Compensation


The City's Worker Compensation Insurance covers the medical expenses and 67% of salary for injuries sustained on the job. In the event of an in-service injury, the employee concerned may also receive up to 40 days of leave with full pay, if necessary, without sacrificing other accrued leave.

Other Leave


Funeral Leave


In the event of a death in our immediate family, you be entitled to a maximum of three (3) working days, with pay, to handle family affairs and attend the funeral. Shift duty fire personnel will be granted one shift off with pay. Immediate family is defined in this situation as: spouse, child, mother, father, sister, brother, in-laws, grandchildren, and grandparents.

Jury Duty


Employees are granted leave of absence with pay for required jury duty to an amount equal to the difference between his/her regular pay and the compensation received for jury duty.

Employee Assistance Program


At no cost to its employees, the City provides confidential access to professional counseling and other services. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services, currently provided through Magellan, are available to employees and their immediate family members and offer problem assessment, short-term counseling, and referrals to appropriate community and private services.

 Full Time Employee Recreation Division Benefits