Protecting Health and Improving Lives

It is our mission and we strive to meet it every day. If you are service oriented and enjoy the feeling that helping others gives you, then this may just be the place for you. We serve and protect ­everyone­ from all walks of life in our community. While many of our customers never “see” the service we provided, i.e., “If you didn’t get sick, we did our job,” for others, our services mean a significant, recognizable, impact on their quality of life. Every employee at CPH impacts mission attainment, from our administrative staff to the medical professionals. If you will help us reach our mission and perform high level customer service, then we want you on our team. When someone asks a CPH employee, “What is your job?” the answer is always, “My job is to protect health and improve lives.”

The Employee Benefits and Wellness Program Management administers the City’s benefits and wellness (HealthyColumbus) programs. The employee benefits program, which include the medical, pharmacy management, dental, vision, short-term disability, basic life, and COBRA are administered in accordance with applicable laws. The HealthyColumbus (Wellness) program provides employees and family members with opportunities to improve their health, well-being and quality of life through programs such as - physical fitness, disease management, nutrition and healthy eating support, tobacco cessation and much more. The City of Columbus’ strategic goal is to provide cost effective plan designs and programs, which support consistency and streamlined administration. Please take a moment and review the Employee Benefits and Wellness Program Management site for complete information including employee contribution rates. If you have any questions about employee benefits or the wellness program please contact the Employee Benefits and Wellness Program Management office at 614-645-8624. The Employee Benefits and Wellness Program Management office is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Important Notice: New employees enrolling for the first time and existing employees enrolling of changing benefits due to a “qualifying event,” must complete the enrollment or benefits changes through Dayforce no later than 30 days from the date of hire or qualifying event. No enrollments or changes can be permitted outside this 30-day window and employees will be required to wait until the next benefits open enrollment (February) or until another qualifying event occurs to enroll or make changes.

Comprehensive Major Medical Coverage

The comprehensive major medical benefits are provided through a preferred provider (PPO) design covering eligible costs at a higher percentage co-insurance and lower co-pays, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums, when a participant uses in-network providers. Services from non-network providers are also covered at higher co-pays, deductibles, co-insurance levels, and out-of-pocket maximums. The plan provides benefits for covered outpatient and inpatient, specific preventative care and medically necessary services. Please visit the Employee Benefits and Wellness Program Management site (Look under “Summary and Benefits Coverage Statement” for AFSCME Full Time) for additional information regarding the plan including applicable co-pays, deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums, co-insurance, etc. For detailed information regarding your medical benefits, visit the Employee Benefits and Wellness Program Management site (Look under “Medical Summary Plan Description” for AFSCME SPD).

Prescription Plan Coverage

The prescription plan is also very competitive offering two methods for enrolled employees and family members to obtain the medications they need. The plan includes prior authorization requirements for certain types of drugs and at times step therapy of a lower cost drug before a higher cost drug is dispensed.

Retail Pharmacy Benefits

For short term medications (typically 30 days or less), employees may use retail pharmacies to obtain medications. The plan provides for three (3) tier-level costs, with the first tier (lowest co-pay) for generic medications, the second tier for formulary brand medications, and the third tier (highest co-pay) for non-formulary and “dispense as written” (DAW) medications.

Mail Order Drugs

For long-term or maintenance medications, employees are strongly encouraged to utilize the mail order program. With this program, employees may receive 30-90 days’ supply of medication at lower costs. The plan also has three tiers (generic, formulary brand, and non-formulary/DAW) with corresponding co-pay levels.

Please see City of Columbus Employee Benefits AFSCME Full Time (under “Pharmacy Benefit”) for more details related to Tier-level co-pays.

Vision Plan

CPH Provides a vision plan to full-time permanent employees. The plan provides for an eye exam annually with a co-pay, glasses every 24 months, or contact lenses every 12 months in place of all other vision plan benefits. Material maximums apply for lenses, frames, and contact lenses.

Please see City of Columbus Employee Benefits Vision Benefits Summary AFSCME (under “Vision Benefit”) for more information on the co-pay and maximums.

Dental Plan

The dental plan is a voluntary Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) or Preferred Provider plan-type as well allowing employees to obtain higher benefit levels when using a preferred provider.

Please see City of Columbus Employee Benefits Delta Dental PPO for AFSCME (under “Dental Benefit”) for more information on the co-pay and maximums.

Life Insurance

The City does provide a group term life benefit while an employee works here as follows:

• 1.5 times the employee’s gross annual regular wages to a maximum of $200,000 rounded to the next higher $1,000, but no less than $18,000

• Every $1,000 of coverage in excess of $50,000 is taxable to the employee

• Employees who have health insurance from other sources may elect to purchase life insurance coverage for a monthly premium of $5.50

Additionally, an employee who is leaving employment with the City may opt into a portability benefit to continue life insurance as well.

Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company Supplemental Benefits

The City provides employees with access to optional, supplemental, benefits through Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company, that typically help offset costs that are not covered by healthcare benefits. These optional benefits are at the employee’s cost with most, except Life Insurance, available on a pre-taxable basis. Options made available include Accident coverage, Cancer insurance, Critical Illness insurance, Disability insurance, Hospital Confinement coverage, and Life Insurance.

Visit http://www.visityouville.com/en/CityofColumbus/benefits-overview.aspx for more information.

Holidays

The City of Columbus observes the following holidays:

New Year’s Day

Martin Luther King’s Birthday

President’s Day

Memorial Day

Juneteenth

Independence Day

Labor Day

Veteran’s Day

Thanksgiving Day

Christmas Day

Employee’s Birthday Holiday

(Each employee receives a day off to celebrate his/her birthday. Upon supervisory approval, the birthday holiday may be taken any work day during the 365 days that follow the employee’s birthday)

Personal Business Day

Each employee receives three, eight (8) hour Personal Business Days per vacation year. Personal business days may be used in increments of four (4) or eight (8) hours.

Vacation Leave

Employees earn vacation leave based on their years of full-time service and may begin using vacation once it is earned with the exception of new hires and rehires. New hires and rehires may be eligible to use vacation leave only after the employee has accrued thirteen (13) pay periods of vacation hours in continuous active service.

Vacation Accrual Rate

Years of Full-time Service Accrual per Pay Period Days per Year

Less than 3 years 3.077 hours 10 days

3 years but less than 6 years 4.924 hours 16 days

6 years but less than 13 years 7.077 hours 23 days

13 years but less than 20 years 8.000 hours 26 days

20 years but less than 25 years 8.616 hours 28 days

25 or more years 9.231 hours 30 days

Sick Leave

• At the beginning of each year, employees shall receive a lump sum of 96 sick hours to be used throughout the year. However, when an employee is in an unpaid status for over 8 hours in one pay period, 3.692 shall be deducted from their sick leave balance.

• Sick Leave Reciprocity is awarded to each employee at their regular straight-time hourly rate in effect on December 31 of the previous year, for any unused sick leave hours awarded during the preceding calendar year, up to a maximum of 56 hours based on the calculation table, or at the employee’s option, may carry over any unused sick leave to the next year.

Bereavement Leave

• Employees are granted up to (5) days of Bereavement Leave for the death of an immediate family member. Three (3) of five (5) days will be paid as bereavement; the other two (2) days will be charged to the employee’s leave of choice.

• Bereavement days can be used separately or consecutively.

Paid Parental Leave

Employees who have worked at least one (1) year of continuous service, 1,250 hours in the previous 12 months, and have not used PPL in the previous 12 months, may be eligible for up to six (6) weeks of paid leave for the birth, adoption, or placement of a child with that employee.

Paid Caregiver Leave

Employees who have worked at least one (1) year of continuous service, 1,250 hours in the previous 12 months, and have not used PCL in the previous 12 months may be eligible for up to four (4) weeks of paid leave to care for family member (as defined under the FMLA) with a serious health condition.

Short-Term Disability Plan

• The City of Columbus provides a short-term disability benefit that is intended to pay you a weekly benefit which partially replaces lost income during periods of total disability. AFSCME employees are eligible for up to a maximum of 26 weeks of disability benefits within a 365-day period and will cover 81% of an employee’s net base weekly earnings after applicable Federal, Medicare, State, and local flat taxes are deducted.

• Eligibility occurs the beginning of the first month following one year of continuous service.

Occupational Injury Benefits

For eligible on-the-job injuries, employees may receive paid compensation and medical coverage through the City’s injury leave and/or workers’ compensation (BWC) programs.

Service Credit

The City of Columbus will pay a bonus for continuous service based upon paid status as a full-time employee as of November 30^th of the calendar year.

More than 05 years $650

More than 08 years $750

More than 14 years $850

More than 20 years $950

More than 25 years $1,050

Employee Development

CPH considers workforce development a foundational part of its strategic plan. CPH has developed a workforce development plan to address its evolving public health workforce, including preparing new employees, retaining current employees, and investing in future leadership. While CPH does require employees be trained routinely on certain subjects core to meeting legal requirements and to maintain a competent workforce, CPH also provides avenues to employees for personal growth and credential maintenance.

Tuition Reimbursement

Employees with one (1) or more years of continuous service shall be eligible for a reimbursement of instructional fees and laboratory fees for studies voluntarily undertaken.

• $4,000 per calendar year for undergraduate studies

• $4,500 per calendar year for graduate studies

Continuing Education

Many of the positions at CPH are licensed, registered, or certified requiring continuous education credits to maintain these credentials. For some of these credentials, CPH offers either in-house CEU training or opportunities to attend programs externally.

Personal Development Classes

Through the Citywide Training and Development Program, CPH employees may attend classes geared towards personal development such as Microsoft Office Suite, defensive driving, money management, elder care, parenting, etc., at no cost to the employee and low fee for family members of employees.

Mileage Allowance

CPH pays the IRS allowable rate for business mileage

Perfect Attendance

Each employee who has perfect attendance for a full quarter of a payroll year shall receive one hundred dollars ($100.00) incentive payment for that quarter.

Personal Health and Wellbeing Programs

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Services

Provides counseling services and/or referral to services for employees.

Health/Benefits Fairs, Free Assessments and Flu Vaccinations

Health/Benefit Fairs and free assessments are generally offered twice annually onsite at CPH and at other locations in the City for City employees. Influenza vaccination is provided during the Autumn Health/Benefits Fairs.

Healthy Columbus

Provides access to programs and services that City employees and family members may utilize to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Fitness Centers

The City maintains a Fitness Center on Front Street near City Hall that is free to City employees. Additional services offered may have nominal fee.

Additionally, CPH has a fitness room available to CPH employees to utilize either to attend regularly scheduled fitness classes or for personal workout purposes when classes are not scheduled. The fitness room also has locker rooms equipped with showers for employee convenience.

City of Columbus Recreation Centers

City employees may access any City of Columbus Recreation Center at no charge by showing their employee identification.

Free Covered Parking

Columbus Public Health provides free covered parking for its employees in a parking lot separate from client/customer parking.

Cell Phone and Personal Computer Discount Programs

The City has negotiated discounts for cellular telephone services, computer (and accessories), and software providers that City employees may utilize for personal purchases.

Optional Financial and Insurance Programs

City employees are provided access to optional financial and insurance programs that may be purchased through payroll deductions, including supplemental benefits through:

1. Membership in the Columbus Municipal Employees (CME) Credit Union,

2. Products through Liberty Mutual Insurance, and

3. Deferred compensation savings programs through the Ohio Deferred Compensation Plan.

Please see City of Columbus Employee Resources page (under “Financial and Insurance”) for more information on these programs.

Retirement Plan

Employees are enrolled into the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) for retirement. The City contributes 14% and each employee contributes 10% (pre-tax) of the employee’s gross salary towards the employee’s retirement through OPERS. Employees are strongly encouraged to contact OPERS directly at www.opers.org or 1-800-222-7377 with questions and to obtain information to make informed decisions regarding their retirement plan choices through OPERS.

Employee Entertainment and Leisure Programs

Columbus Employee Association (CEA) Special Events and Offerings

CEA offers multiple discount opportunities to City employees, such as golf outings, bowling tournaments, discounts to theme parks (King’s Island, Cedar Point, Zoombezi Bay, Wildlights at the Zoo, Newport Aquarium and much more.

Central Ohio Employee Services & Recreation Association (COESRA)

The City of Columbus is a member of COESRA, the Ohio chapter under the Employee Morale and Recreation Association (EMRA). Through COESRA employees enjoy access to offers and discounts towards travel and vacations, events, theme parks, professional services and products, and much more. Because the City is a member there is no additional cost for employees to obtain these benefits. Check out what COESRA can offer at https://enralife.com/coesra.

Coverage Monthly Rate Per Pay

Effective 4/1/2022 Single $166.10 $83.05

Family $415.25 $207.62

Surcharge for Tobacco Usage (Hired on or after 1/1/2018) $25.00

Employees may elect to have deductions pre-taxed

NOTE: The City adjusts premium rates annually, effective April 1