OVERVIEW OF EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
This is just a summary of the employee benefits. See official plan documents for more detailed information.
Leave
- Employees earn 7 sick leave days per year with unlimited accumulation. Accrual begins day of hire.
- Employees earn two personal leave days per year with a maximum of five accumulative days. All days over five roll over to sick leave. Accrual begins day of hire.
- Certified staff earn 10 additional extended sick leave days. Extended sick leave days are non-accumulative and begin after regular entitlement is exhausted. Only the minimum daily rate of substitute teacher pay is deducted.
- Employees can get up to 12 weeks during a 12-month period of Family Medical Leave. FMLA begins after the employee has been employed for 12 months.
- Employees receive a limited number of professional leave days for professional development. Some professional leave training is held during the summer.
- Employees earn 3 bereavement days for the death of an immediate family member. There is no accumulation of bereavement days.
Health Insurance
All full-time employees may elect to participate in the Public School Employees’ Health Insurance Plan. The State pays 100% of the active employee premium for employees enrolled in Base Coverage.
All employees enrolled in Select Coverage pay a portion of their active employee premium.
Horizon Employees pay $38 per month for employee only coverage.
Legacy Employees pay $20 per month for employee only coverage.
Family coverage is available through payroll deduction.
New employees who apply are effective first date of employment. Existing employees may apply for benefits during open enrollment (October 1st – October 31st each year) with a January 1st effective date . For more information about the insurance and to obtain a plan document, visit www.dfa.state.ms.us.
Group Life Insurance
All full-time employees may elect to participate in the State Life Insurance Plan. The plan has a minimum of $30,000.00 coverage and a maximum of $100,000.00 coverage. The cost of the insurance is 18 cents per $1,000.00 of coverage shared equally by employee and the state.
New employees can enroll when hired. Any employee who previously waived the insurance can apply for the life insurance, but the effective date will be set after an approval process by the insurance company.
For more information about the life insurance plan, visit www.dfa.state.ms.us.
Cafeteria Plan
A cafeteria plan, a separate written plan maintained by the employer for employees meets the specific requirements of and regulations of Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code. It provides participants an opportunity to receive certain benefits on a pretax basis. Participants in a cafeteria plan must be permitted to choose among at least one taxable benefit (such as cash) and one qualified benefit.
A qualified benefit is a benefit that does not defer compensation and is excludable form an employee’s gross income under a specific provision of the Code without being subject to the principles of constructive receipt. Qualified benefits include the following:
- Accident and health benefits
- Disability income insurance
- Dependent care assistance
- Cancer Coverage; Dental/Vision insurance
- Group-term life insurance coverage
- Health savings accounts
Worker’s Compensation
Pursuant to state law, school districts are required to provide worker’s compensation insurance coverage. Workers Compensation is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee’s right to sue his or her employer for the tort of negligence.
Retirement Benefits
The Sunflower County Consolidated School District staff participates in the Public Employees Retirement Systems (PERS). Each pay period, the employee contributes 9 percent of gross earnings to his/her individual account. The District contributes 15.75 percent of gross earnings which are placed in reserve and invested until time of retirement. For more information about the plan, visit www.pers.ms.gov.