A Great Place To Work – Check Out City of Waco Benefits
The City of Waco is one of the top ten employers in the Waco, Texas area. If you secure employment with this employer, you are one of the fortunate ones. Earlier this year, we published an article entitled “Do You Want To Work For the City of Waco?” In this article, we discussed how to fill out an application, the conditions of employment and how to apply for City jobs.
This article consists of everything you want to know once you get employed with the City of Waco. Read on.
Full-Time Employment Benefits:
Standard Benefits
Employee Assistance Program: This benefit is provided by the City of Waco at no cost to employees. Up to six counseling sessions are available (per employee and each dependent) per issue. Horizon Health EAP Services provides this benefit.
The EAP provides additional services beyond short-term counseling including crisis intervention, on-line resources, and preparation of a simple will to name a few. The City wants to ensure employees remain healthy and productive in the workplace while maintaining a balance between work and home life.
Advantages of using the EAP: The service costs the employee nothing; it is high quality and professional, easy to access, confidential, available for employees and their families, and offers practical solutions for employees’ unique issues.
Bilingual Pay
The Bilingual Pay Program compensates employees whose position may require the use of Spanish 
bilingual skills. Each department is allotted a maximum number of positions that are eligible to receive bilingual pay.
Health Insurance
Health insurance is effective the first day of employment for employees and dependents who enroll. The City’s health plan year runs October 1st through September 30th. Employees may elect not to enroll in the City’s health plan. The City offers one health and prescription insurance plan, administered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBS) and prescription services provided through Prime Therapeutics. Locally, employees have access to Hillcrest and Providence Hospitals located in Waco and Scott & White Hospital located in Temple.
Holidays
The City observes nine paid holidays each year for full-time employees. Holidays which fall on a Saturday will be observed on the preceding Friday; holidays which fall on a Sunday will be observed on the following Monday. Employees scheduled to work on a holiday may be given another day off or may be paid for the holiday.
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King Day
- Spring Holiday
- Memorial Day
- July 4th
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Friday after Thanksgiving
- Christmas Eve
- Christmas Day
Leave for Jury Duty
Employees required to report for jury duty will receive their regular pay during the time they serve, on a regularly scheduled workday. The employee must present proper documentation to his immediate supervisor upon receipt of the notification to report for jury duty.
Life Insurance & Accidental Death Insurance
The City provides Basic Term Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment insurance at no cost to the employee, which becomes effective on the first day of employment. An employee is automatically enrolled for an amount equal to one times his base annual earnings to a maximum of $50,000. An employee may purchase supplemental life insurance and life insurance for his family. Life insurance and accidental death insurance are offered through Prudential Insurance Company of America.
Longevity Pay
Employees must have 5 full years of continuous service as a full-time regular employee as of November 1st 
each year to be eligible for longevity pay. Longevity pay is paid each December at $4 per month for each year of service with a maximum of 25 years. Civil Service employees receive longevity pay at a rate of $4 per month after one year of service up to a maximum of 25 years, which is paid bi-weekly.
Long-Term Disability
This program may pay an employee up to 50% of his/her salary after being disabled by an injury or illness. The coverage begins on the 181st day after an injury or illness and may continue to age 70. The benefits of this plan may be coordinated with other income the employee may be receiving. An employee is automatically enrolled at no cost to the employee. This benefit is provided through Prudential Insurance Company of America.
Military Leave
Employees who are members of a reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces or National Guard are entitled to military leave with pay for 15 days per year. For longer periods of military duty, the City adheres to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) Guidelines.
Paydays
Employees are paid every two weeks for a total of 26 paydays per year.
Post Retirement Benefits
Life insurance in the amount of $2,500 is provided at no cost to each qualified retiree. An optional $5,000 in life insurance is available at the retiree’s expense. Retired employees may keep medical coverage as long as they continue to pay the health premium; however, the decision to continue medical coverage must be made upon retirement.
Retirement Plan
Employees scheduled to work a minimum of 1000 hours per calendar year are members of the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS). An employee contributes 7% of his/her gross pay, and the City contributes 14% of the employee’s gross pay to the employee’s fund. Qualified employees may retire at age 60 with at least five years of service credit with TMRS or have 20 years of service credit with TMRS, regardless of age.
School Conference Policy
Employees with school-aged children may be granted one and one-half hour with pay per child per semester for school conferences, provided supervisory approval has been granted.
Sick Leave
Employees accrue sick leave with pay at a rate of one workday for each month employed. Sick leave may be accumulated without limit and carried forward from year to year. An employee who separates from the City after five years of continuous service is paid for accumulated sick leave, not to exceed 90 days.
Civil Service Employees are allowed sick leave with pay, accumulated at the rate of 1.25 full working days for each month employed in a calendar year, so as to total fifteen working days to an employee’s credit each twelve months.
Social Security
The City participates in Social Security.
Vacation
Employees earn vacation leave at a rate of 13 workdays per year. After five years of consecutive employment, full-time employees earn 18 vacation days per year. After 20 years of consecutive employment, full-time employees earn 20 vacation days per year.
Civil Service Employees are entitled to earn a minimum of fifteen working days vacation leave with pay each year. A maximum of 20 days can be carried over to the next calendar year for all employees. An employee 
who separates from employment with the City is allowed a maximum of 20 accrued vacation days to be paid out.
Worker’s Compensation
The City provides Workers’ Compensation insurance or equivalent benefits to employees for job-related injuries and occupational illnesses.
Optional Benefits
Deferred Compensation Plans
Participation in Deferred Compensation is available for employees who want to save additional money for retirement and not pay taxes on the money until it is withdrawn at retirement. The City offers three deferred compensation plans: Metlife, ICMA, and Nationwide.
Dental Plans
The City offers voluntary dental plans. Quality Care Dental (QCD) of America provides a dental/vision 
discount plan that employees may choose to enroll in at no cost to the employee; employees may choose dependent coverage at the employee’s cost. Cigna Dental provides indemnity dental insurance that employees may choose to enroll in at the employee’s cost.
Cafeteria Plans
The Section 125 Cafeteria Plan allows employees to use pre-tax dollars to pay for eligible expenses, which allows employees to reduce income taxes and increase take-home pay. The plan includes: health, vision, and dental premium sheltering, healthcare flexible spending account, and dependent care flexible spending account. PayFlex Systems USA, Inc. administers the City’s flexible spending accounts.
Savings Bonds
Employees may elect to have payroll deductions to purchase savings bonds.
Short-Term Disability
Employees may choose to enroll in this benefit at the employee’s expense. This benefit begins on the 15th day following a non-occupational accidental injury or non-occupational sickness, and it pays up to 70% of an employee’s weekly earnings, up to a maximum of $350, less deductible sources of income. The minimum weekly benefit is $25. The maximum period of payments is 26 weeks. This benefit is provided through Prudential Insurance Company of America.
Vision Plan
The City offers a voluntary vision plan through Superior Vision. Employees may choose to enroll in this plan at the employee’s cost.
Waco Federal Credit Union
City of Waco employees can join the Waco Federal Credit Union.
I hope this helps out in understanding the full benefits offered by the City of Waco. Please check out the City’s website, www.waco-texas.com, for any further questions or information. Δ
