Benefits.

Health Benefits

The City offers medical, dental, and vision plans.  The medical plan is a high deductible health plan (HDHP) with an available health savings account (HSA).

Your Healthcare coverage will begin on the date of your hire.  

UnitedHealthcare creates and publishes the Machine-Readable Files required by the Transparency in Coverage Rule on behalf of the City of Hamilton. To access the Machine-Readable Files, please click on the following link:  transparency-in-coverage.uhc.com

If you have any questions about the benefits available, please contact the Department of Human Resources. 

Provider Sites:

Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)

Below you will find all of the Documents related to the City's Employee Assistance Programs (EAP). Please read below for eligibility for each EAP program.  

Modern Health EAP (All Employees and Dependents)

Modern Health is a new robust Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and is available to ALL city employees and their dependents.

Modern Health EAP Packet

Modern Health Coaching vs. Therapy Guide

Modern Health Flyer

Modern Health Employee FAQ

Jefferson Health Plan EAP (All Employees)

The Jefferson Health Plan's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - BEACON - is available to ALL City employees, their spouses, dependents, and anyone in the employee's household. 

JHP EAP Brochure

JHP EAP Quick Facts Sheet

JHP EAP - Feeling Stressed?

JHP EAP - Feeling the money pinch?

JHP EAP - Need a little guidance?

 

United Healthcare EAP (City-insured Employees)

The United Health Care Employee Assistance Program - CARE 24 - is available ONLY to City of Hamilton employees who are enrolled through United Healthcare. 

UHC EAP Benefit

UHC Care24

Other Benefits

Additional Employee Benefits

The City of Hamilton offers the below additional benefits for employees to enroll in during open enrollment. 

Life Insurance

After six months of employment, employees are eligible for $10,000 coverage under our group life insurance policy.  Additional coverage up to the employee's annual salary ($40,000 maximum) may be purchased.  Upon retirement this coverage will be reduced to $4,000.  The premiums will be paid by the City.  

Voluntary Supplemental Benefits

Life insurance (term and whole life), critical illness/cancer, accident, short / long term disability insurance

Holidays

For many employee groups, the City provides 17 days (136 hours/year) of paid holiday leave.  These include:  New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the Friday after, Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. 

 

Employees hired prior to January 1, 2016 are eligible for the below benefits.* 

Sick Leave

Employees earn 10 hours of paid sick leave per month.  Upon retirement, a certain amount of this may be converted to pay.   

Vacation

Employees may also be eligible for vacation based on length of service as noted below and consistent with applicable ordinance or collective bargaining agreement.    

  • Less than one year:  None

  • 1 year, but less than 7:  two weeks

  • 7 years, but less than 16:  three weeks

  • 16 years:  four weeks

  • 17 years:  four weeks + one day

    • Each additional year adds one day: four weeks + X days

    • To a maximum of 26 years:  30 days

Employees may also be eligible for five personal days and the employee's birthday. 

Employees hired on or after January 1, 2016 are eligible for the below benefits.* 

Paid Time Off (PTO) 

Employees hired on or after January 1, 2016 may also be eligible for Paid Time Off (PTO) based on length of service as noted below and consistent with applicable ordinance or collective bargaining agreement.    

  • Less than one year:  88 hours

  • 1 year, but less than 7 years: 168 hours

  • 7 years, but less than 16:  208 hours

  • 16 years:  248 hours

  • 17 years:  256 hours

  • 18 years:  264 hours

  • 19 years:  272 hours

  • 20 years:  280 hours

  • 21 years:  288 hours

 

EMPLOYEES WHO ARE COVERED BY A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT (CBA) MAY HAVE BENEFITS THAT DIFFER FROM THOSE NOTED ABOVE OR ADDITIONAL BENEFITS.  IN THOSE INSTANCES, YOU MUST REFER TO THE CBA FOR SPECIFIC BENEFIT DETAILS.  THIS LISTING IS NOT ALL-INCLUSIVE, BUT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE A BRIEF OVERVIEW.

Retirement Plans

Mandatory Retirement Plans

The Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) and the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund (OP&F) are the two plans available to City employees. Both are established by Ohio law and participation is required. Both the employee and the City of Hamilton contribute a percentage (pre-tax) into the system. Members do not pay into the Federal Social Security System. Employees and the City also contribute to Medicare.

Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS)

The Ohio Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio  (OPERS) provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefit programs for employees. Currently, employees contribute 10% of their gross pay to OPERS and the City contributes 14% of an employees gross pay to OPERS (as of 5-4-16). 

There are three factors that impact the amount of an employee's retirement benefit: 1) Final Average Salary; 2) Employee's age at retirement; 3) Employee's years of service credit. 

For general or specific information, employees may call OPERS at 1-800-222-PERS(7377), write to OPERS, 277 East Town Street, Columbus, OH 43215-4642, or visit their website at www.opers.org.

Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund (OP&F)

Only full-time, sworn police officers and firefighters may participate in the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund (OP&F). Currently, each police officer and firefighter contributes 12.25% to OP&F (as of 5-4-16). The City contributes 19.5% for Police and 24% for Fire (as of 5-4-16).

The average annual salary is used in the formula to calculate an employee's retirement benefit. 

For general or specific information, employee may call OP&F at 1-888-864-8363, write to OP&F, 140 East Town Street, Columbus, OH 43215, or visit their website at https://www.op-f.org. 

Voluntary Supplemental Retirement Plans​

The City of Hamilton also offers the below supplemental retirement programs for employees. These options are voluntary and participation is not required. 

Ohio Public Employees Deferred Compensation Plan

The Ohio Public Employee Deferred Compensation Plan is a voluntary supplemental retirement plan for state and local government employees in the state of Ohio. It allows employee to defer a portion of their current paycheck until retirement. It is intended as a long-term financial program, the amount employees defer and any related earnings are not subject to federal income taxes until they are paid out. 

The most that can be deferred is as follows: 

  • Regular Deferral Limit ($18,000.00)

  • Age 50+ Deferral Limit ($24,000.00)

  • Catch-up Deferral Limit ($36,000.00)

For more information about Ohio  Deferred Compensation, employees may call 1-877-644-6457, write to 257 East Town Street, Columbus, OH 43215-4626, or visit their website at https://www.ohio457.org.

 Health Benefits Committee

In 2013, a Health Benefits Committee was formed. The purpose of the Health Benefits Committee is to work with City Administration within the City's budget parameters to review insurance coverage and consider alternate coverage or benefits. 

The primary function of the committee is to review medical insurance coverage; though, the committee may also review other insurance coverage such as dental, vision, disability, and life insurance as so delegated by the City Manager. For further information please see Administrative Directive # 334.