EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
The Right Career, Right Here

OTHER BENEFITS / PROGRAMS

The County offers a wide variety of other benefits and programs available to employees to help balance your career and personal life. 

SHORT-TERM DISABILITY

Eligibility Requirements

You must be a permanent employee in units D, E, G, L, O, X, XL, Y, or ZX.

Financial Benefits of this Plan 

The County of Monterey provides a Short-Term Disability Insurance plan to eligible employees. If you are in an eligible unit, you are automatically enrolled in this benefit at no cost. Short-term disability insurance provides you with financial protection in the event that you are unable to work due to a qualifying illness, injury, medical condition, or while disabled by pregnancy. It replaces a portion of your income during your recovery period, helping you manage everyday expenses while focusing on your health. By having this benefit, you can gain peace of mind knowing that you have a financial safety net to support you during an expected interruption in your ability to work.

• Short-Term Disability Benefit Summary.

Enhancing This Benefit (Buy-up)

The County of Monterey offers you the option to enhance this benefit, which increases the maximum weekly benefit and reduces the waiting period. The cost for you to enroll in the Short-Term Disability Buy-up plan is based on your salary up to the current maximum monthly cost of $36.80, subject to annual change.

How do I Enroll or Cancel the Buy-Up?

If you are a new hire, you have 31 days to enroll in the buy-up benefit. If you were promoted into a new unit that is eligible for the buy-up, you have 30 days to enroll. If you missed your opportunity to enroll or would like to cancel the buy-up, your next opportunity will be during our Open Enrollment period, which typically runs from mid-September to mid-October. Complete the STD Buy-Up Election Form and submit it to your Benefit Coordinator.

How do I Submit a Short-Term Disability Claim?

The process for submitting a short-term disability claim is straightforward. You can submit a claim online at Lincoln Financial or over the phone by calling the customer service number at 888-408-7300. When you create your free account, please use company code LF1831COU to ensure you receive the correct coverage.

• How to Submit a Claim Guide

LONG-TERM DISABILITY

Eligibility Requirements

You must be a permanent employee in units D, E, G, L, O, X, XL, Y, or ZX.

Financial Benefits of this Plan

The County of Monterey provides a Long-Term Disability Insurance plan to eligible employees. If you are in an eligible unit, you are automatically enrolled in this benefit at no cost. Long-term disability insurance provides you with financial protection in the event that you are unable to work due to a qualifying illness, injury, or medical condition that prevents you from working for an extended period. The coverage provides a percentage of your salary up to a cap after short-term disability benefits end. This helps you maintain financial stability during a prolonged absence from work. It replaces a portion of your income during your recovery period, helping you manage everyday expenses while focusing on your health. By having this benefit, you can gain peace of mind knowing that you have a financial safety net to support you during an expected interruption in your ability to work.

• Long-Term Disability Benefit Summary

How do I Submit a Long-Term Disability Claim?

Once it is determined that you will be out on a leave of absence for at least 360 days, Lincoln Financial will reach out to you to initiate the paperwork to transition you from Short-Term Disability to Long-Term Disability. You do not need to submit a new claim to start this process.

VOLUNTARY LONG-TERM DISABILITY

Eligibility Requirements

You must be a permanent employees in units F, H, J, M, N, P, Q, R, V, or Z.

Financial Benefits of This Plan

The County of Monterey offers eligible employees the option to enroll in a Long-Term Disability Insurance plan. While you may be eligible for wage supplement benefits through State Disability Insurance, those benefits end after 52 weeks. Long-term disability insurance provides you with financial protection in the event you are unable to work due to a qualifying illness, injury, or medical condition that prevents you from working for an extended period. The coverage provides a percentage of your salary up to a cap after short-term disability benefits end. This helps you maintain financial stability during a prolonged absence from work. It replaces a portion of your income during your recovery period, helping you manage everyday expenses while focusing on your health. By having this benefit, you can gain peace of mind knowing that you have a financial safety net to support you during an expected interruption in your ability to work.

• Voluntary Long-Term Disability Benefit Summary

Benefit Cost

The cost to enroll in this voluntary long-term disability benefit is based on your age and salary. Complete the enrollment form below to calculate your premium.

How do I Enroll or Cancel this Benefit

Eligible employees can enroll or cancel this benefit at the time of hire or during the annual open enrollment period. Complete the Voluntary Long-Term Disability Form and submit it to your Benefit Coordinator for processing.

How do I Submit a Voluntary Long-Term Disability Claim?

The process for submitting a long-term disability claim is straightforward. You can submit a claim online at Lincoln Financial or over the phone by calling the customer service number at 888-408-7300. When you create your free account, please use company code LF1831COU to ensure you receive the correct coverage. 

PET INSURANCE

The County of Monterey is pleased to offer Pet Insurance through MetLife. To receive a quote and enroll, contact MetLife at 1-800-GET-MET8. Once enrolled the monthly premium will be deducted from your paycheck on a post-tax basis. Pet Insurance through MetLife is an optional benefit and is not subject to any special enrollment period. You may enroll, change, or cancel your policy at any time by contacting MetLife directly.

• Presentation Materials
• Presentation Webinar (Life Insurance, Legal Insurance, & Pet Insurance)
• Pet Insurance Overview
• Frequently Asked Questions

LEGAL INSURANCE PLAN

The MetLife Legal Insurance Plan gives you access to experts who can assist you with a broad range of personal legal needs you might face throughout your life. This could be when you’re buying or selling a home, starting a family, dealing with identity theft, or caring for aging parents. This plan gives you access to a network  of attorneys available in person, by phone, or by email. For $22.00 a month, you get legal assistance for some of the most frequently needed personal legal matters —with no waiting periods, no deductibles and no claim forms, when using a Network Attorney for a covered matter. Your premium is deducted once a month from your paycheck on an after-tax basis.

How to Enroll: As a new hire, you must enroll within 31 days of your hire date and your policy will be effective the 1^st of the month following your hire date. If you miss your enrollment deadline, you can also enroll during Open Enrollment in the fall in which case your policy will be effective January 1^st of the following year. Submit your Enrollment /Cancellation Form to your Benefit Coordinator. Enrollment and cancellation in this plan is subject to open enrollment.

• Presentation Materials
• Presentation Webinar (Life Insurance, Legal Insurance, & Pet Insurance)
• Legal Insurance Overview
• Legal Plans Fact Sheet
• The Importance of Estate Planning (video)

AFLAC

The County of Monterey offers you the ability to enroll in a variety of AFLAC products to support you in life. AFLAC provides a variety of optional benefits to enhance your financial security and protect yourself from unexpected expenses. AFLAC offers supplemental insurance coverage that works alongside your primary health insurance, providing cash benefits directly to you when you face a covered illness or injury. This means you can receive financial support for out-of-pocket costs, such as deductibles, co-pays, and everyday expenses. AFLAC also provides Life Insurance products that can help cover funeral expenses, outstanding debts, and can provide ongoing support for your family who depend on you. Enrolling in plans that make sense to you is a smart way to be ready for anything and can significantly ease the financial strain during a challenging time. While AFLAC is a company that is available to the public, the advantage of enrolling through our AFLAC representative is that you receive a much better rate than enrolling directly through them.

WHAT PLANS ARE OFFERED?

• Aflac Short-Term Disability - Provides a source of income if you're disabled due to an injury or illness.
• Aflac Accident Advantage - Reduces the financial impact of an accident by providing cash benefits.
• Aflac Cancer Protection - Provides a cash benefit if you are diagnosed with a covered cancer to help with expenses incurred due to medical treatment, ongoing living expenses, or any purpose you choose.
• Aflac Critical Care Protection - Helps with the costs of treatment if you experience a covered health event, such as a heart attack, stroke, or paralysis.
• Aflac Choice - Provides you with financial resources to help you overcome covered hospital expenses due to an injury or illness.
• Aflac Life Solution - Whole Life Insurance provides you peace of mind and will help your loved ones through the tough times.

The County hosts several Lunch and Learn Webinars throughout the year. If you have not had the opportunity to attend one in the past, Watch the video here. It is a great introduction to all of the plans offered through AFLAC.

If you would like to schedule an appointment with our AFLAC representative Bonnie Sato, you can call her at (Office) 408-465-0432 / (Cell) 408-722-6886, email her at Bonnie_Sato@US.AFLAC.com or schedule a virtual appointment.

For more information about any of these products, please visit our dedicated AFLAC page. The page includes rates, videos, and other important information about these plans.

The Monterey County Employee Wellness Program is a partnership between management, unions, and employees to address the health and safety needs of Monterey County Staff. Employees are eligible to receive 12 hours each fiscal year to attend Employee Wellness sponsored programs and activities. This program is administered by the Monterey County Health Department. Some of the program focuses are:

• Healthy Eating

• Stress Management

• Physical Activity

• Manage Your Health

• Tobacco Cessation

• Pregnancy, Parenting and Breastfeeding

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT

The Educational Assistance and Career Development program is intended to incentivize existing County employees to pursue higher education, licensure, certification, or specialized training. The Program is subject to the Department’s ability to absorb the reimbursements, employees meeting the eligibility criteria and committing to remaining employed by the County for at least two (2) years following completion of each course.

How to Enroll

Eligible employees must complete and submit the following forms to their Department Human Resources Professional:

• Educational Assistance and Career Development Policy
• Educational Assistance and Career Development Application Form
• Educational Assistance and Career Development Agreement
• Educational Assistance and Career Development Tuition Payroll Authorization Repayment Agreement