Benefits
Compensation:
- Employees are paid monthly on the first workday of each month
- Direct Deposit of paychecks is available
- Full-time state employees receive $20 per month longevity pay for each two years of state service.
Insurance:
- The State offers health insurance coverage effective on the first day of the month following the first 90-days of employment.
- The State pays 100% of full-time employees' health insurance premiums and 50% of covered dependents' health insurance premiums. Part-time employees (less than 40 hours per week) receive a contribution of 50% toward the cost of health insurance premiums and 25% of the cost of covered dependents' health insurance premiums.
- The State insurance program offers HealthSelect of Texas (statewide), administered by Blue Cross & Blue Shield and several HMO’s, with coverage limited to specific service areas.
- Enrollment in the State’s group health insurance program entitles employees to $5000 Basic Term Life insurance and $5000 AD&D coverage, paid for by the State.
- Optional benefits available to state employees are: term life insurance, dependent life insurance, accidental death & dismemberment, disability income coverage, dental and long-term care.
- The TexFlex Program, which allows employees to pay for eligible health and dependent care expenses tax free, is offered by the State
- The State offers enrollment in the Texa$aver Program, which consists of two voluntary retirement plans, the 401(k) Plan and the 457 Plan.
Retirement:
- After a 90-day waiting period from the date of hire, employees are members of the state defined benefit retirement plan. A contribution of 6% of your monthly salary is automatically deposited each month into an individual retirement account. The State also contributes 6.45% of an employee's monthly salary to a special trust fund to support retirement benefits.
- Employees who have completed five years state service credit and keep their retirement contributions on account with ERS, become 'vested' members of ERS.
- Employees may receive a retirement annuity and will be eligible for state-supported group insurance when they have at least 10 years of service credit and are 65 or older, or when the years and months of service equal or exceed 80.
- Employees’ contributions can be withdrawn upon termination or rolled over into a qualified retirement plan or eligible IRA.
Leave
- Accruals (sick and annual) will begin on the first day of employment.
- Annual Leave accrues at 8 hours per month for new full-time state employees. Part-time state employees will accrue annual leave based on their percent time worked. Accrual rate increases with length of state service.
- New employees who do not have 6 months continuous prior state service cannot take annual leave during the first 6 months of employment.
- Full-time state employees accrue sick leave at 8 hours per month regardless of state service time. Part-time state employees will accrue sick leave based on their percent time worked. Full-time and part-time employees may use sick leave upon employment.
Additional Benefits
- Flexible work schedules are available to eligible employees
- Active charitable employee associations
- Free parking
- 17 paid holidays per year, less those holidays which fall on weekends or require a skeleton crew