According to the State Auditor’s Office, with an average base salary of $36,182, a state employee’s benefits package totals $17,920, making for an annual compensation of more than $54,000 for the average state worker. The average Texas state employee’s annual salary is $36,182, but that is just the start of our compensation package. The total compensation for that level of salary breaks down as follows:
36,182
Base pay (average state employee)
5,829
Paid time off (holidays, sick leave, vacation leave)
An article in USA Today states that government jobs are among those that are most immune to the effects of a recession. The article says government jobs may be only slightly affected by an economic downturn, even with tax revenues decreasing. It goes on to say there always will be a need for certain jobs related to services provided by the government.
Health Insurance
Who is eligible?
DFPS employees who work at least 20 hours
per week are eligible to select health coverage through HealthSelect
or a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), if one is available in
their geographic area.
What do you get?
A health plan that provides payment (depending
on the coverage you select) for costs incurred for medical services.
Who pays?
The state pays a certain amount, depending
on the level of health coverage you select. You pay the cost of any
remaining premiums.
DFPS employees who work at least 20 hours
per week and participate in the health insurance program.
What do you get?
Specific discounted treatment fees through
contracted dentists with no deductibles and co-payments, or your choice
of a dentist for preventive, restorative, and major services with
deductibles and co-payments that you pay.
Life, Disability, and Other Optional Insurance Coverages
Who is eligible?
DFPS employees who work at least 20 hours
per week and participate in the health insurance program.
What do you get?
An automatic $5,000 term life insurance
policy, with accidental death and dismemberment benefits; term and
whole life insurance in amounts equal to one, two, three or four times
your annual salary; short and long term disability insurance; and
a variety of other optional insurance coverages.
Who pays?
The state pays the premium for the automatic
$5,000 term life insurance policy. You pay the premiums for all optional
coverages you select.
A retirement annuity when you are eligible
to retire. To qualify for normal retirement without benefits, you
must have at least 5 years service at age 60. To qualify for normal
retirement with full benefits, you must be at least 60 years of age
and have at least 10 years of service, or the combination of your
age and length of service, including months of age and service, equals
at least 80. You may use your unused [annual] and sick leave to reach
retirement eligibility. Each 160 hours of unused sick leave may be
converted to one month of service. Any sick leave hours remaining
after the total number of sick leave hours has been divided by 160
will convert to an additional month of service credit.
Who pays?
You contribute six percent (6%) of your
gross monthly salary, and the state matches your contribution.
DFPS employees who opt for, and pay into,
supplemental retirement programs.
What do you get?
Various types of investment plans such
as life insurance, variable and fixed annuities, mutual funds, bank/savings
and loan products, credit unions, stock plans, and fixed income plans
through two programs--Deferred Compensation and Texa$aver. The money
you put into either program is not subject to federal income tax until
you withdraw it.
Who pays?
If you choose to participate in one or
both of these programs, you defer money from your salary into the
selected program and pay any applicable fees. DFPS and the state pay
most of the programs administrative costs but do not contribute
any matching funds.
DFPS employees with previously refunded,
or never-credited, state service or military time who choose to buy
back the time to increase future retirement benefits.
What do you get?
Application of eligible state service,
or military time, to increase your years of service toward retirement.
Your retirement account is credited when you have purchased one year
of service or paid off the cost of the total purchase, whichever option
you choose.
Who pays?
You may purchase eligible prior service
through a lump sum payment or payroll deduction.
Premium Conversion and TexFlex Reimbursement
Accounts. The Premium Conversion allows you to pay for your selected
insurance coverage premiums (with the exception of dependent life
[and short and long term disability]) with untaxed income. The TexFlex
Reimbursement Account allows you to pay for dependent care and health
care expenses not covered by your health insurance plan with untaxed
income.
Who pays?
You pay your portion of your group insurance
and any other optional insurance premiums and decide how much of your
salary you want redirected into your reimbursement accounts. The redirected
amounts must be applied to costs incurred during that fiscal year.
Any remaining balance will not be refunded or applied to costs incurred
in other fiscal years.
DFPS employees with an on-the-job injury
or occupational disease.
What do you get?
Medical benefits, temporary weekly income,
impairment income, supplemental income, lifetime income, or death
and burial benefits if you have an eligible on-the-job injury or occupational
disease.
Texas Legal protection plan covers attorney's
fees for advice and representation for a number of criminal and civil
actions, and work-related or personal matters.
DFPS employees, their families, and DFPS
retirees and their families.
What do you get?
Confidential, professional counseling
and referral services. You and your immediate family members (spouse
and dependent children) are allowed up to five free visits each year.
Several businesses such as Dell and Microsoft, hotels/motels such as La Quinta, car rentals at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and mobile phone providers such as Verizon, Sprint, and Cingular, offer discounts on their products or services.
Employees who: were hired by a state agency
on or before 8/31/95; were an active state employee on 8/31/95; and
have had less than a 12 month break in state service since 8/31/95.
What do you get?
Benefit replacement pay covers the portion
of the Social Security (FICA) contribution previously paid by the
state, up to a maximum of $1,026.86 each calendar year.
Opportunity to contribute to the charity
of your choice during this annual fall campaign. New employees may
authorize a charitable deduction during the new hire orientation process.
Who pays?
DFPS and the state pay administrative costs
of the program. The employee makes the desired contribution by cash,
check, bank draft, or monthly payroll deductions.
DFPS employees with at least six continuous
months of state service.
What do you get?
A certain number of annual leave hours
each month, depending on your total years of state employment. New
employees earn but may not use annual leave until they have been employed
by the state for at least six continuous months.
Employees who are parents, or stand in
a parental relation, of a child who is a student attending a grade
from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade may use up to eight hours
of sick leave each calendar year to attend parent-teacher conference
sessions for the employee's children.
Employees who have: at least three years
of state service; performance that meets or exceeds standards; used
sick leave appropriately; and exhausted all other paid leave.
What do you get?
An additional amount of paid sick leave
for a catastrophic illness, as defined in agency policy.
DFPS employees who have a catastrophic
illness or an immediate family member with a catastrophic illness.
Employees must have exhausted all paid leave before requesting leave
from the sick leave pool.
What do you get?
An additional amount of paid sick leave
for a catastrophic illness, as defined in agency policy.
Who pays?
DFPS employees donate the sick leave hours
to this pool.
DFPS employees who have worked for the
state at least 12 months and have worked a minimum of 1,250 hours
during the 12 months immediately preceding the start of FMLA-protected
leave.
What do you get?
Job protection for up to 12 weeks for birth,
or adoption, of a child; your own serious health condition; or your
spouse's, child's or parent's serious health condition.
Who pays?
DFPS continues to pay your salary during
any portion of your 12 week entitlement when you are using accrued
annual or sick leave, extended sick leave, or sick leave pool leave.
DFPS will also continue to pay the state portion of your group insurance
premium whether you are on paid or unpaid leave. You pay the cost
of any remaining premiums (group insurance and all optional coverages)
you have selected.
DFPS employees who have worked for the
state less than 12 months or have worked less than 1,250 hours in
the 12 months immediately preceding the beginning of the leave period.
What do you get?
Absence due to the birth of a natural child
or the adoption or foster care placement of a child under the age
of three. Eligibility begins with the day the child is born or the
adoptive child is placed in the employee's home and ends 12 weeks
later. If an employee is eligible for Parental Leave the employee
will not be eligible for FMLA-protected leave.
Who pays?
DFPS continues to pay your salary during
any portion of your 12 week entitlement when you are using accrued
annual, hour-for-hour compensatory, and FLSA time-and-a-half overtime
leave. The use of sick leave, including sick leave pool leave, under
this policy is limited to those situations that meet the definition/criteria
for the use of sick leave for illness or injury. DFPS will also continue
to pay the state portion of your group insurance premium whether you
are on paid or unpaid leave. You pay the cost of any remaining premiums
(group insurance and all optional coverages) you have selected.
Up to nine national and eight state holidays
during each calendar year. Up to four optional holidays, for designated
religious observations may be substituted for an eligible state holiday
on a one-for-one basis.
DFPS employees who have worked for the
agency at least six months, are nominated by their peers, have an
above-average job performance rating, are endorsed by their supervisors,
and are not violating DFPS Standards of Conduct.
What do you get?
Regional and statewide recognition for
outstanding performance, as detailed in the Human Resources Manual.
Employees with five years of state service
receive a certificate of appreciation beginning with the fifth year
of service, and then at each additional five-year interval.
DFPS employees who meet the program's eligibility
criteria and are not elected or appointed agency officials.
What do you get?
A one-time bonus equal to 10% of the first
annual net savings of $500 or more (up to a maximum award of $5,000)
for employee suggestions implemented by the target agency or agencies.
A certificate of appreciation from the Texas Incentive and Productivity
Commission (TIPC) for approved suggestions resulting in net annual
savings of less than $500.00.
Each region has the latitude to implement
a Wellness Program that conforms to regional needs. DFPS does offer
non-smoking offices and facilities; HIV/AIDS awareness training; and
an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).