The City of Sterling has an excellent and varied benefit program available to all full-time regular employees of the organization. Contained in the paragraphs below is a brief explanation of some of the elements that make up the benefit package.
HEALTH INSURANCE The City of Sterling offers health, dental and life insurance to full-time employees or employees that work 30 hours per week or more on a regular basis and their dependents. Insurance is provided through County Technical Services, Inc. (CTSI) in the County Health Pool (CHP) network. Employees choose doctors, hospitals, and other medical providers from a listing of groups that have contracted with Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield. There are two plans to choose from:
An annual $0 deductible per person, co-pay of $25 per visit An annual deductible of $1000 per person, co-pay of $35 per visit, hospital charges vary. Prescription coverage is $75 deductible with varying schedules depending on drug choices. This coverage runs for the calendar year.
Dental insurance includes a $50 deductible per person and 80% employer-20% employee coverage on most procedures after the deductible. Orthodontia coverage for children under 19 is 50%. The total benefit per person can be $1500 in a calendar year. There can be two cleanings each year. Premiums depend on what coverage has been chosen with the orthodontia coverage more.
For cost sharing information, please contact Human Resources.
Life insurance coverage is $20,000 for employee and $2000 for spouse and $1000 for each child.
All of these coverages start on the first of the month after 30 days of employment with the City of Sterling.
SHORT-TERM DISABILITY This coverage commences the first day of the month following 6 full months of regular full-time employment with the City of Sterling. Premiums are paid by the City and these benefits are taxable when the employee is enrolled in the STD/LTD program.This program is only available for regular full-time employees.
This insurance is available for employees that suffer an illness, injury, or other physical impairment not associated with their employment that requires the employee, for personal medical reasons associated with that event, to be absent for a period of time in excess of eighty working hours (120 hours for designated fire personnel). Paid Time Off may cover this 80- or 120-hour waiting or elimination period for the employee. Short-Term Disability or STD is available for 56 working days or 448 hours whichever applies to the employee. This will occur in a calendar period of 90 days. The amount paid to employees on STD is 70% of the pre-disability rate of pay during the duration of the STD subject to maximum amounts. Employees must meet eligibility requirements on a continuing basis. Earnings are taxable.
LONG-TERM DISABILITY Long-Term Disability or LTD is available for any employee the first day of the month following 6 months of regular full time employment with the City of Sterling. The LTD pays 60% of pre-disability earnings subject to a maximum. It becomes effective after the completion of Short-Term Disability. The LTD is 24-hour coverage. Eligibility requirements must be met for LTD and are similar to the STD requirements. Earnings are taxable.
PAID TIME OFF Regular full time or part-time employees who work at least 20 hours per week earn Paid Time Off (PTO). Paid Time Off may be used for vacations, illness, injury, medical/dental appointments, personal business, child care problems, pregnancies, for care of immediate family members, funerals, travel time for funerals, or for any other valid absence as determined by the Department Head or his/her designee.
PTO commences to be accrued at the start of employment. During the Introductory Period of six months or one year on the job, PTO may be utilized for unscheduled activities such as injury, illness or family emergency. This is referred to as Unscheduled PTO. Aftercompletion of the Introductory Period, employees may use Scheduled PTO. This process is used for vacations, scheduled appointments, and personal business and like matters.
PTO is earned on a graduated accrual basis determined by the length of time an employee has been with the City on a continuing basis. There are maximum amounts of accrual dependent on the number of hours an employee works per week.
RETIREMENT All non-sworn employees of the City of Sterling are covered under the Federal FICA program. This withholds 6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare. The City matches that contribution. In addition, regular employees working 20 hours (minimum of 1000 hours annually) or more per week and employed over a year by the City are eligible to receive a supplemental retirement benefit upon reaching the age of 59 ½ but not available till leaving employment with the City of Sterling. This plan is arranged and funded by the City of Sterling with no contribution from covered employees. The covered employee directs the investment of the funds. The plan is portable and is fully vested to the employee immediately. Upon separation from the City, the funds become the property of the employee. This plan is not available to part-time or seasonal employees.
Retirement for classified or sworn employees is covered under the Fire and Police Pension Association and governed by the board of that association under statutes established by State of Colorado. The employee makes a contribution of 10 1/2% and the City matches 8% contribution of the base rate of pay increasing 1/2% in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, the employee contribution will be 12%. The City and the employee also make a matching contribution of 1.45% for Medicare purposes.
WORKER’S COMPENSATION As required by Colorado State Statute, the City provides Workers’ Compensation Insurance coverage to pay for medical and compensation benefits for employees injured on the job. To assist in case management, the City utilizes a designated provider system in conjunction with the Sterling Regional MedCenter. This program helps monitor the progress of injured employees on the road to recovery and a quicker return to employment.
OTHER BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO EMPLOYEES ON A SUPPLEMENTAL BASIS Deferred Compensation is an employee funded pre-tax retirement plan designed as a supplement to other retirement plans. Most employees have access to two of these plans, with Police Officers and Fire Engineers having access to three plans.
Legal Shield Services is a service for legal consultation made available on a subscriber basis.
Section 125 Plan is offered for eligible employees to cover non-reimbursable expenses on a pre-tax basis.
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS EXAMPLES OF BENEFITS AND PROGRAMS OFFERED BY THE CITY OF STERLING TO ITS EMPLOYEES. NOT ALL EMPLOYEES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ALL PROGRAMS AND NOT ALL BENEFITS OF THE CITY OF STERLING ARE LISTED IN THIS SUMMARY.
