All employees excluded from collective bargaining (those employees classified as managerial, supervisory, confidential, or otherwise excluded) are covered by CoBen. For rank-and-file employees, CoBen eligibility is determined through the collective bargaining process. Ask your Personnel Office or check your bargaining unit contract if you are unsure of your eligibility for CoBen. Currently, employees in Bargaining Units 2, 7, 8, 16, 17, 18, and 19 are covered by CoBen.

COBRA Continuation Coverage
Under the federal Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), employees and dependents who lose their health, dental, or vision coverage due to certain "qualifying events" are allowed to continue their coverage for a specified period of time. The cost to the enrollee is 102% of the applicable group premium rate. Benefits provided under COBRA are the same as those provided under the State-sponsored plans.

Death Benefits
State employees who are members of the California Public Employees' Retirement System (see Retirement, on page 12) are automatically eligible for death benefits. If a covered employee dies prior to retirement, his or her beneficiary may be eligible for a monthly allowance and/or a lump sum benefit payment.

120-Day Death Benefits
Under the 120-day death benefit, departments ae required to continue to pay the employer contributions for a covered employee's spouse, domestic partner and/or other eligible family members for up to 120 days following an employee's death. The 120-day period is to provide the family a grace period while the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) determines if the spouse or other family members are eligible for a survivor's benefit.

Dependent Care
See FlexElect Reimbursement Accounts, below, for information on how to pay for certain dependent care expenses using non-taxable paycheck deductions.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
The Employee Assistance Program provides confidential short-term counseling and referral services to employees and their families to help resolve personal issues that can affect job performance. These issues may include financial, legal, and psychological problems; child and elder care; family and marital issues; and alcohol and drug abuse. The program also is available to help supervisors refer an employee to EAP.

FlexElect Reimbursement Accounts
Employees who expect to pay out-of-pocket medical and/or dependent care expenses during the coming year may benefit from a FlexElect Reimbursement Account. Most State employees are eligible. With a FlexElect Medical Reimbursement Account, you can use payroll deductions to pay for medical expenses that are not covered by your health, dental, or vision plan. A FlexElect Dependent Care Reimbursement Account lets you use payroll deductions to pay for day care expenses for a child or parent.

When you enroll in a reimbursement account, you specify an amount to be deducted from your paychecks for the year. These deductions are not counted as taxable income. Your funds are held in a special account you use to reimburse yourself for covered expenses that you and eligible dependents incur during the year. To ensure you get back all the funds in your account, you need to submit eligible reimbursement claims by a specified deadline.

Legal Services Plan
The Group Legal Services Plan is a voluntary, employee-paid benefit that can provide you with legal consultation and representation. Employees designated as excluded and certain represented employees are eligible to enroll. New employees, if eligible, may enroll within the first 60 days of employment or during the annual open enrollment. A variety of legal services are available such as will preparation, legal consultation and representation for domestic matters, defense of civil actions, criminal misdemeanors and traffic charges, bankruptcy proceedings, and review and preparation of documents.

Paychecks
Most State employees are paid monthly for the 12 pay periods in the year. Pay day for full-time and part time employees usually is the last day of the month or the first day of the next month. Intermittent employees usually are paid within ten working days after the end of the pay period. The staff person who handles your attendance can help you with questions about pay periods, time sheets, and other required forms.

You are eligible to sign up for direct deposit of your paycheck after you have worked for the State for six months. Check with your banking institution and/or payroll office for the necessary forms. Retirement - California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) State employee pensions are administered by CalPERS. Most full-time employees hired to work more than six months automatically are members of CalPERS.

Travel and Per Diem
Employees who are required to travel as part of their work assignment will receive reimbursement for appropriate expenses. In some cases, employees may request an advance on the expenses they expect to incur. There are very specific rules and regulations regarding travel and reimbursement amounts. Always consult your supervisor for authorizations, expense limits, travel advances, and reservation procedures if you are scheduled to travel.

Relocation
Employees who are required to relocate as part of their work assignment may receive reimbursement for appropriate expenses. Relocation may apply to current State employees as well as newly hired employees. There are very specific rules regarding the reimbursement of expenses associated with a State-approved relocation. Always consult your supervisor for information regarding relocation authorizations, expense limits, and allowances.

Pre-Tax Parking
Employees may elect to participate in this voluntary program that allows for the deduction of a specific dollar amount for work-related parking fees from your pay warrant prior to tax deductions; as a result, your taxable income will be reduced. Once enrolled, deductions will continue without interruption until terminated or changed by you. At the end of the tax year, the SCO will report your taxable income as usual and excludes the amount of the pre-tax parking deduction from your gross taxable income. There are three types of Pre-Tax Parking Programs: Department of General Services/Office of Fleet Administration; department-sponsored; or Third Party Reimbursement. Contact your department to determine which program fits your specific needs.

State Merit Award Program
The State Merit Award Program was established in 1950 to recognize employee contributions that provide a savings to the State's operation. As of 1993, every department has a departmental Merit Award Administrator responsible to promote three separate programs.

1. The Employee Suggestion Program, a formal program for employees to submit ideas and receive a cash award of $50 to $50, 000;
2. Superior Accomplishment, a Director's award to recognize employees or teams for outstanding performance and receive a cash award of $25 to $500 and certificate or plaque;
3. Special Act/Service (Medal of Valor - Gold or Silver), an honorary award presented by the Governor in a public ceremony to recognize employees who risked their safety or lives to save another individual.

Worksite Wellness Program
The Worksite Wellness Program offers online resources and links to health information for State employees seeking to improve and maintain their health. The program also provides health resources and information to State agencies to help them implement activities to promote healthy lifestyles for employees and their families. Some collective bargaining agreements allow time off for employees to participate in onsite wellness activities.