[Amended 6-28-2004; 1-26-2009; 6-29-2009; 11-25-2014; [9-13-2016]
The Town participates in a group health insurance program. Full-time
employees are eligible to participate in the health insurance program.
Coverage becomes effective the month following date of hire.
A. Effective September 1, 2016, to August 30, 2017, the Town's contribution
rate to the premium will be as follows:
B. Effective September 1, 2017, to August 30, 2018, the Town's contribution
rate to the premium will be as follows:
C. Effective September 1, 2018, to August 30, 2019, the Town's contribution
rate to the premium will be as follows:
D. The employee will pay the remainder of the premium cost through weekly
payroll deductions.
[Amended 9-13-2016]
The Town participates in the Maine Municipal Employees Health
Trust. The Town pays 100% of the cost of the income protection premium
at the appropriate level of coverage for all eligible full-time employees
requesting coverage. Employees with accrued leave available may receive
wages to offset the income protection benefit, not to exceed 100%
of regular weekly earnings.
The Town participates in a group life insurance
program and pays 100% of the premium for term life insurance in an
amount equal to the annual wage or salary, rounded to the nearest
$1,000, of the employee for all eligible full-time employees requesting
coverage.
Employees are eligible for benefits under the Workers' Compensation Act for a personal injury or compensable illness arising out of and in the course of employment. (See §
31-53.)
In addition to the Maine State Retirement System,
the Town participates jointly with employees in social security payments.
Benefits provided include a retirement feature, survivor's benefits,
payment if death occurs before retirement, disability insurance, and
Medicare coverage.
[Amended 8-8-2005; 6-29-2009; 7-24-2018]
A. Effective January 1, 2017, employees who are regularly
scheduled 20 hours or more per week have the option to participate
in the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS) or in
a 457(b) Retirement Fund in which the Town is a member. Contributions
are made by the employee through weekly payroll deduction in accordance
with the plan document and regulations of their chosen retirement
option.
B. The Town agrees to contribute the rates for MainePERS
in accordance with their published rates each fiscal year. The Town
will contribute up to a 6.5% match for contributing participants to
a 457 plan. Eligible employees may opt to participate in both plans,
but would only be entitled to the single mandatory employer contribution
to MainePERS.
C. Due to changes in legislation for compliance with
federal IRS law, as of July 12, 2010, new employees are only eligible
to join MainePERS at the time of their enrollment eligibility. All
eligible new hires and employees accepting a status change to a regularly
scheduled 20 hours a week or more are required to fill out the MainePERS
membership application on the date of hire or status change opting
to join or not join. Eligible employees who opt out at time of hire
or first eligibility can only join in an optional membership plan
later if they change employers. Employees who join the MainePERS defined
benefit plan are not eligible to withdraw contributions or stop participating
unless they terminate employment (https://www.mainepers.org).
D. Eligible
employees may join the 457(b) at any time. Contributions may be changed
or stopped if requested during their employment. If in agreement with
the existing plan document, under qualifying conditions, an employee
may apply for a loan providing they meet the requirements of the plan
and federal IRS law (https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participantemployee/
retirement-topics-loans).
The Town provides unemployment compensation
benefits to employees who are laid off while in good standing with
the Town.
[Added 12-11-2006; amended 6-25-2007; 6-29-2009; 1-14-2014]
The Town participates in a retirement health
savings plan (RHS). The plan is an employer-sponsored health benefit
savings vehicle that allows full-time employees to accumulate assets
to pay for medical and dental expenses on a tax-free basis upon retirement
or at termination of service. The outline of the plan is as follows:
A. Employees hired before January 1, 2007, may elect
the initial one-time medical leave (sick leave) buyout of 50% of hours
over 400 and the remaining 50% forfeited. The buyout hours will be
contributed to RHS at the employee's present rate of pay.
B. Employees hired January 1, 2007, and after will have
a maximum accrual of 400 medical leave hours.
C. On December 31 of each year, employees shall contribute
a percentage of their unused annual medical leave accrual as follows:
(1) Employees with 100 to 400 medical leave hours shall
contribute 25% of the value of their unused annual accrual. The remaining
75% will accumulate until 400 hours is obtained.
(2) Employees with more than 400 medical leave hours shall
contribute 50% of the value of their unused annual accrual. The remaining
50% will be forfeited.
(a)
Medical leave used during the calendar year
is first drawn from the current calendar year's accrual. Additional
leave is drawn from the prior accumulation.
(b)
Any medical leave hours forfeited in this plan
cannot be donated to the sick leave bank.
D. Employees shall contribute their annual longevity bonus as outlined in §
31-78.2.
[Added 6-25-2007; amended 6-29-2009]
All full-time nonunion employees having completed
10 years of continuous full-time service and having been at the last
step in their pay grade for one full year will be paid an annual longevity
bonus on their anniversary of date of hire. The payment shall be deposited
into the employee’s Retirement Health Savings Plan as follows:
A. Completion of 10 years: $500.
B. Completion of 15 years: $750.
C. Completion of 20 years: $1,000.