Employee Benefit Program

The City of Ocala provides a competitive, comprehensive benefit package for all full-time employees. A summary of our benefit program follows.

CERTIFICATION AWARDS

Employees have the opportunity to earn various job-related certifications and professional designations.  The City rewards designated special achievements through financial recognition ranging from 2 to 5%.  Prior to enrolling in a certification program, interested employees should see their department head/supervisor.

DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

Deferred compensation is available to all full-time employees at the time of employment. This benefit allows the employee to defer income without paying taxes until money is withdrawn.

The current plan is offered through ICMA, Adam Ferguson, 1-866-328-4672 or TIAA-Creff, Carolyn Robin, 1-877-358-4221.  For enrollment forms, please contact Human Resources.

DIRECT DEPOSIT

Direct deposit automatically deposits your net pay each pay period to your checking or savings account at your own financial institution and is also available at the Employees Credit Union.  Direct deposit is a condition of employment for a person hired by the City. 

Each pay period the employee receives an earnings statement showing gross pay, taxes, other deductions, accruals and net pay.

Enrollment forms are available at Human Resources or Payroll.

DISCOUNTS - THEME PARKS

The following discounts are available to all non-temporary employees at the time of employment at Human Resources:

Wild Waters, Sea World, and Universal Studios.

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
(EAP)

The Employee Assistance Program is available to all regular, full-time employees and their covered dependents, upon eligibility. If you are experiencing personal, family, marriage, drug or alcohol problems, call the Employee Assistance Program. It's professional and confidential.  They also provide legal and financial services.

Coverage begins the first of the month following 30 days of employment. The Employee Assistance Program is Horizon Health, (800) 865-3200, www.horizoncarelink.com.

EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

The grievance procedure is provided to enable regular, full-time and part-time employees to seek solutions to work-related problems. A grievance is any circumstance or condition of employment which an employee believes is sufficient basis for complaint, except for those terms of employment which have been placed in writing in the Employee Handbook. (While the Grievance Procedure is available to all regular employees, it is rarely used thanks to the City's Open Door Philosophy.)

HOLIDAYS, VACATION DAYS, AND SICK LEAVE

The City provides paid holidays, paid vacation days, and paid sick leave for full-time employees. Refer to the Employee Handbook for details.

OPEN DOOR POLICY

Part of the Human Resources Department's mission is to act as an advocate for all City employees and applicants without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, or handicap.

The open-door policy gives employees an avenue to discuss personal or job-related problems, when the problem has not been or can't be resolved with the normal departmental chain-of-command. (Employees are encouraged to resolve problems within the department whenever possible.)

RETIREMENT PLAN

This plan is provided for all eligible regular, full-time employees.  The employee contribution is 8.18% each pay period.  The City pays the portion of the cost of the pension plan over and above the employee contribution.

Employees must complete 5 years of continuous service to be eligible. (Employees hired after age 55 shall be eligible to retire at age 65 so long as they have completed five or more years of service.)

Pension benefits are based on the highest three of the last five years' earnings. Contact the Pension Benefits Coordinator for further details.

TRAINING PROGRAMS

The City is committed to provide training programs for all departments and all positions. Risk Management conducts classes in Defensive Driving, Safety, and Insurance. With rare exceptions, classes are offered during working hours, and are open to all eligible employees.

TUITION REIMBURSEMENT

All regular, full-time employees are eligible to participate in the tuition reimbursement program providing the employee has completed the six month probationary period.

The plan pays for 50% of all out-of-pocket expenses incurred for tuition, registration, books, and laboratory fees, excluding monies provided from other authorized sources, up to $1,000 per calendar year.

Tuition Reimbursement Forms must be completed and approved by their cabinet member prior to beginning the course. Forms are available in Human Resources.

Courses must be job-related or required for a job-related degree, and reimbursement expenses must be submitted within 60 days of course completion. Colleges/universities must be accredited by a regional accrediation organization.

Employees must successfully complete the course with a minimum grade of "C" or a "pass" on a pass/fail grading system.

U. S. SAVINGS BONDS

U.S. Savings Bonds of various denominations may be purchased through payroll deductions, and all employees are eligible.

Contact Payroll for enrollment forms.