[Ord. No. 11-0218 §§ 1 — 2, 6-28-2011; Ord. No. 13-0364 § 1, 9-9-2013; Ord. No. 18-0507, 12-10-2018; Ord. No. 22-0184, 3-16-2022; Ord. No. 23-0484, 11-27-2023]
A. 
Policy.
1. 
Jefferson County has established a comprehensive package of employee benefits plans. Regular full-time employees who have completed one (1) calendar month of continuous employment are eligible for this plan.
2. 
An active part-time/temporary/seasonal status employee who becomes a regular full-time employee whose length of service is greater than one (1) calendar month, he/she will be eligible to participate in these plans as a regular full-time employee who has satisfied the requirement of one (1) month of continuous employment.
3. 
Health insurance shall be provided to all employees occupying permanent positions working thirty (30) hours or more per week, and elected officials.
4. 
The employee group insurance programs include:
a. 
Medical. Coverage for eligible employees and eligible dependents is effective on the first day of the month following one (1) month of continuous employment. Coverage terminates on the last day of the month in which the employee's employment with the County terminates.
b. 
Dental. Coverage for eligible employees and eligible dependents is effective on the first day of the month following one (1) month of continuous employment. Benefits terminate on the last day of the month in which the employee's employment with the County terminates.
c. 
Life. Coverage under this program is determined by the County Council. Additional life insurance coverage in the amount in effect is provided in the event of accidental death or dismemberment. Life insurance coverage terminates on the last day of employment with Jefferson County.
5. 
Further details regarding health and wellness benefit plans and costs may be found by contacting the Human Resources Manager and in the various plan booklets and/or related certificates issued by the insurance companies.
B. 
Procedure.
1. 
All employees who are eligible for Group Insurance Programs will be given a new employee benefits package on the first day of employment with Jefferson County.
2. 
The Division of Human Resources will conduct an orientation explaining eligibility dates and a brief description of each of the group insurance benefit programs.
3. 
The group insurance benefit program enrollment forms will be completed by the employee and returned to the Division of Human Resources. The Division of Human Resources will then notify the group insurance carrier and ensure coverage of the employee.
[Ord. No. 11-0218 §§ 1 — 2, 6-28-2011; Ord. No. 13-0364 § 1, 9-9-2013; Ord. No. 18-0507, 12-10-2018]
A. 
Jefferson County has established a cafeteria plan under Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code that includes health care flexible spending accounts and dependent care flexible spending accounts.
B. 
Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts. Expenses eligible for reimbursement include qualified medical expenses as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
C. 
Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts. Expenses that may be reimbursable include the following:
1. 
Payments to babysitters or companions inside or outside the employee's home;
2. 
Fees paid to licensed child-care centers;
3. 
Wages paid to housekeepers working in the employee's home who also care for the employee's dependents; and
4. 
Federal taxes the employee pays on wages for dependent care providers.
D. 
The dollars set aside in a flexible spending account must be used to pay for eligible expenses incurred during the same plan year in which the contributions were made. Any employee contributions that remain unspent at the end of the plan year are forfeited to the County.
[Ord. No. 11-0218 §§ 1 — 2, 6-28-2011; Ord. No. 13-0364 § 1, 9-9-2013; Ord. No. 18-0507, 12-10-2018]
A. 
Policy.
1. 
Under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), Jefferson County is required to offer employees and their families the opportunity of a temporary extension of health coverage (if the employee has already elected health coverage), at the employee's expense, in certain instances where health coverage would otherwise end.
2. 
An employee has the right to choose this continuation coverage under the following circumstances:
a. 
The employee, spouse, or dependent children can elect continuance for up to eighteen (18) months upon termination of the employee's employment (for reasons other than gross misconduct); or
b. 
Upon reduction in the employee's employment hours to the extent that it makes the employee and his/her spouse and/or dependent children no longer eligible to continue to participate in the County's health plans.
3. 
Coverage may be available for up to twenty-nine (29) months for a qualified beneficiary who is classified as disabled under the Social Security Act at the time the termination or reduction in hours occurs or within sixty (60) days of these events. A copy of the Social Security disability notice must be given to the Plan Administrator within sixty (60) days after it is received and before the initial eighteen-month continuance ends.
4. 
Eligible dependents of employees may extend their coverage in the County's group health plans for up to thirty-six (36) months in the event of the death of the employee, divorce or legal separation from the employee, the employee's enrollment in Medicare benefits, or when a child ceases to be eligible for coverage as a dependent under the terms of the plan of which he/she is a member.
5. 
An employee who chooses continuation coverage will be provided coverage identical to the coverage provided under the plan in effect at the time. Should an employee or his/her eligible dependents elect to continue as members of the County's plans, he/she/they will be charged the applicable premium charged to the County plus an additional two percent (2%). Individuals who qualify for the Social Security disability extension will be charged an additional fifty percent (50%) of the applicable premium during the 19th through 29th month of continuation coverage. The premiums charged participants are subject to change if the rates charged to the County change.
6. 
Continuation coverage may end if any of the following events occur:
a. 
Failure to make timely payments of all premiums;
b. 
Coverage under another group health plan that does not exclude or limit coverage based on a preexisting or limiting condition, unless the preexisting condition clause does not apply to the employee due to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act;
c. 
Enrollment in Medicare/Employee reaches age sixty-five (65); or
[Ord. No. 22-0184, 3-16-2022]
d. 
Termination of the County's group health plans.
7. 
If this election for continuation coverage is made, individuals will also have the right to convert coverage to an individual policy with the County's insurance carriers at the end of the continuation period.
8. 
If an employee does not choose COBRA continuation coverage, health insurance coverage will end on the last day of the month in which the employee's employment with the County terminates.
B. 
Procedure.
1. 
The County's benefits specialist/plan administrator will contact the employee (as well as his/her spouse and dependent children) about this continuation coverage at the time termination occurs or work hours are reduced, and will contact the other qualified beneficiaries in the event of the employee's death or enrollment in Medicare benefits.
2. 
In the event an employee becomes divorced or legally separated, or one (1) of his/her dependent children ceases to be eligible for coverage under the County's group health insurance plans, the employee, his/her spouse, or children are responsible for contacting Human Resources and the Plan Administrator within sixty (60) days of the event to discuss their continuation and/or conversion rights.
3. 
The employee and/or his/her spouse or children are also responsible for notifying Human Resources and the Plan Administrator within sixty (60) days of qualifying for Social Security disability benefits to ascertain whether eligibility for a disability extension exists.
4. 
If the employee, his/her spouse, or dependent children accept the continuation coverage, Human Resources will notify the Plan Administrator. Coverage will be retroactively reinstated without penalty.
[Ord. No. 11-0218 §§ 1 — 2, 6-28-2011; Ord. No. 13-0364 § 1, 9-9-2013; Ord. No. 18-0507, 12-10-2018; Ord. No. 23-0484, 11-27-2023]
A. 
Policy.
1. 
Jefferson County participates in the Missouri Local Government Employees' Retirement System (LAGERS), a defined benefit plan, and the County Employee Retirement Fund (CERF), a defined contribution benefit plan.
2. 
A regular full-time employee is eligible to become a member in the LAGERS plan after having completed six (6) months of service and attaining the age of twenty-one (21). Employees are fully vested in the plan after completing five (5) years of credited service.
3. 
A regular full-time employee is required to participate in CERF and is fully vested in the plan after completing eight (8) years of credited service.
4. 
Jefferson County also offers a deferred compensation plan in which an employee defers a portion of his/her earnings each pay period for retirement.
B. 
Procedure.
1. 
An employee that is vested in one (1) or both County retirement plans must notify the Human Resources Department of the intention to retire prior to thirty (30) days before the intended retirement date.
2. 
The employee must notify his or her supervisor of the intention to retire at least two (2) weeks prior to the intended retirement date.
[Ord. No. 11-0218 §§ 1 — 2, 6-28-2011; Ord. No. 13-0364 § 1, 9-9-2013; Ord. No. 18-0507, 12-10-2018]
A. 
Policy.
1. 
Employees who have a work-related illness or injury may be entitled to benefits under the State workers' compensation laws depending upon the seriousness of the incident and the length of time off work.
2. 
Any work-related injury or illness must be reported immediately to the employee's supervisor or division manager. Arrangements will be made for medical treatment, if necessary. Medical treatment without authorization is at the employee's expense.
3. 
If an employee is temporarily disabled by a work-related injury or illness, the employee is entitled to payments of two-thirds (2/3) of the employee's average weekly pay, to maximum set by State law, until released by the doctor to return to work. Payments are not made for the first three (3) days of disability unless the employee is hospitalized or unable to work for more than fourteen (14) days. An employee may, if available, use annual leave or sick leave for the three (3) days not paid under workers' compensation for any work-related injury or illness lasting less than fourteen (14) days.
4. 
If the injury or illness results in a permanent disability, permanent disability payments will be made after maximum recovery. If the injury results in death, benefits will be paid to surviving dependents.
5. 
Every case, regardless of severity, requires that a report of injury report be prepared and the County's workers' compensation insurance carrier be notified.
6. 
In the case of a work-related accident that requires that the employee receive medical attention, the County will compensate the employee for any regular work time lost by the employee on the day of the accident.
7. 
If an employee's work-related injury or illness meets the criteria of a serious health condition under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the employee qualifies for FMLA, the County will designate the time lost by the employee as FMLA leave and it will count against his/her twelve-week FMLA allotment in any rolling twelve-month year.
B. 
Procedure.
1. 
An injured employee must report any injury to his/her supervisor immediately.
2. 
The elected or appointed County Officer in charge will ensure that the injured employee receives any required first aid or emergency medical treatment at the medical facility of the County's choosing. If the injury is life-threatening, any available employee will call 911 and then notify the supervisor. The employee will receive treatment at the closest appropriate medical facility.
3. 
The employee should be accompanied to the medical facility by his/her supervisor or another employee designated by management, and the facility rendering the treatment should be informed that the employee sustained a work-related accident or illness and be informed of the County's address where the individual is employed.
4. 
The elected or appointed County Officer must ensure that he/she contacts Human Resources within twenty-four (24) hours of an accident or the onset of any work-related illness to provide Human Resources with the necessary information pertaining to the accident or the illness. The employee must contact Human Resources to complete the report of injury form as required by applicable State law. Human Resources will then file the claim with the County's workers' compensation insurance carrier.
5. 
All medical bills submitted to the County by the employee incurred as a result of the accident or illness should be forwarded to Human Resources for processing and reimbursement.
6. 
If the accident/illness involves lost work time, the elected or appointed County Officer will complete an employee status change form indicating that the employee is on leave of absence status due to workers' compensation, the last day worked, and the expected return date, if known.
7. 
If the lost time resulting from an injury/illness is designated FMLA eligible, the employee and the appropriate elected or appointed County Officer will be notified in writing by the Human Resources Manager.
8. 
In the event that the employee is released to modified duty, the elected or appointed County Officer should try to find modified work for the employee that falls within the job restrictions ordered by the treating physician. If no modified duty is available, then the employee will be permitted to return to full duty when the employee submits a statement from the treating physician that the employee is able to resume all essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation.
9. 
When the employee returns to work, the elected or appointed County Officer will complete an employee status change form indicating that the employee is no longer on leave of absence status and the employee's return to work date.
10. 
A copy of the workers' compensation claim and all documentation will be placed by Human Resources in a confidential medical file.
[Ord. No. 11-0218 §§ 1 — 2, 6-28-2011; Ord. No. 13-0364 § 1, 9-9-2013; Ord. No. 18-0507, 12-10-2018]
A. 
The County has established an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to provide employees with assistance in dealing with a variety of personal problems that may affect their work or home life. The services the County has established makes prepaid, confidential, professional assistance available to eligible employees and their eligible family members.
B. 
The decision to seek or accept assistance through the Employee Assistance Program is the personal choice of the individual and will in no way be detrimental to an employee's job security or advancement opportunities. It is the supervisor's responsibility to evaluate employees only in terms of work performance.
C. 
Participation in the Employee Assistance Program in no way relieves the employee of the responsibility to meet acceptable work performance standards. Implementation of this policy will not require or result in any special regulations, privileges, or exception from existing management practices with regard to job performance standards or disciplinary actions. This program is not intended to supplant the normal disciplinary process or in any way block any employee's legitimate access to established grievance procedures.
D. 
All records and information pertaining to the Employee Assistance Program will be treated with a high degree of confidentiality. Employee Assistance Program records and information will not be disclosed to anyone other than the employee without the employee's written permission to do so legally pursuant to all Federal and State laws. Neither management nor the employee shall attempt to obtain EAP records as a part of any job action.
E. 
It is the responsibility of the employee to comply with the action plan recommended by the Employee Assistance Program when personal problems are affecting the employee's performance. When an elected or appointed County Officer makes a referral to the program on the basis of declining work performance, the elected or appointed County Officer will be told only whether or not the action plan is being followed. The elected or appointed County Officer will not be told the nature of the problem or what was discussed during counseling sessions. Voluntary, self-referred employees or family members seeking assistance will be able to do so with complete anonymity.