3420 - BENEFITS

School Board of Charlotte County

Bylaws & Policies

3420 - BENEFITS

The School Board shall provide all instructional staff members with the following benefits:

	A.	Hospitalization and Medical Care Benefits - Through a flexible benefits program, all instructional employees shall have the opportunity to enroll in hospitalization and medical care benefits as outlined in the collective bargaining agreement;

	B.	Employee Assistance Program - An Employee Assistance Program which, through outside professional counseling, may provide help for instructors and their families in areas including, but not limited to, mental health issues, chemical (alcohol or drug) abuse, and/or marital, financial, family, legal, or occupational problems;

	C.	Liability Coverage - All instructors will have insurance covering injury and property damage liability arising from the performance of assigned duties as provided by Florida Statute;

	D.	Workers’ Compensation - Florida state law requires Workers’ Compensation to be provided to all employees and volunteers of the District. This assures instructors who sustain a work-related illness or injury both income and medical care for that injury until they are able to return to work;

	E.	Other Insured Employee Benefits - Dental, vision, short and long term disability, life insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment group insurance plans are available to instructional staff members;

	F.	Flexible Spending Accounts - Through a cafeteria style flexible benefits plan, accounts are available as an option for paying some medical, dental, vision, and child care costs with pre-tax dollars;

	G.	Legal Services - The Board may provide legal services for any Board member or employee who is sued for any action arising out of or in the course of employment by the District as provided by state statute;


H.	Terminal Pay - The Board shall provide terminal pay to all employees either upon the employee’s retirement through an approved Florida Retirement System or Social Security, or upon resignation after twenty (20) years of service to the District, or to the deceased employee’s estate if service is terminated by death. Determination of such terminal pay may not exceed an amount determined as follows:


	1.	During the first three (3) years of service, the daily rate of pay multiplied by thirty-five percent (35%) times the number of days accumulated sick leave;

	2.	During the next three (3) years of service, the daily rate of pay multiplied by forty percent (40%) times the number of days accumulated sick leave;

	3.	During the next three (3) years of service, the daily rate of pay multiplied by forty-five percent (45%) times the number of days accumulated sick leave;

	4.	During the next three (3) years of service, the daily rate of pay multiplied by fifty percent (50%) times the number of days of accumulated sick leave; and

	5.	During and after the thirteenth (13^th) year of service, the daily rate of pay multiplied by one hundred percent (100%) of the number of days accumulated sick leave.

	For the purposes of computing the amount of terminal pay for accumulated sick leave for employees other than instructional staff or educational support employees, sick leave accrued after June 30, 2004 shall be compensated at no more than the daily rate of pay applicable at the time the sick leave was earned.


	I.	Lump Sum Payment of Vacation Leave - A staff member who is employed on a regular or full-time basis for twelve (12) calendar months may be entitled to a lump-sum payment for his/her accrued vacation leave upon termination of employment, transfer to less than a twelve (12) month position within the District, or normal retirement. Normal retirement as used herein means retirement with either full or reduced benefits as provided by Florida Statutes; it does not include disability retirement. In the case of an employee’s death, his/her beneficiary shall be entitled to the lump-sum payment of the accrued vacation leave.

		Payment shall be the daily rate of pay at the time of termination, transfer, retirement, or death.

		The employee shall have been employed by the District at the time of termination, retirement, or death.

	J.	The holidays for which pay may be awarded shall be designated in the official school calendar which shall be adopted annually. Employees covered by bargaining units should refer to the appropriate collective bargaining agreement. Other employees should refer to the salary schedule.

	K.	Employee Leaves of Absence

		For specific information regarding other available leaves, refer to procedures manual and the collective bargaining agreement.

	L.	Sick Leave Bank - The Sick Leave Bank, available to qualified instructors, is a source from which additional paid sick leave days may be granted for the instructors' catastrophic, prolonged personal illness, accident, or injury (for specifics, refer to Policy 3420.01).

	M.	Donated Sick Leave - An employee may authorize a spouse, child, parent, or sibling who is also a District employee to use sick leave that has accrued to the authorizing employee. The recipient may not use the donated sick leave until all of his/her sick leave has been depleted, excluding sick leave from the sick leave bank, if the recipient participates in the sick leave bank. Employees shall submit an initial request for a specific number of hours. Thereafter, additional requests may be submitted based on the number of hours needed. Unused sick leave shall be returned to the donating party. Donated sick leave shall have no terminal pay value.


	N.	Retirement - Retirement options including, but not limited to regular disability, In-Line of Duty Disability, and the Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) are available to qualified employees.

		DROP participation for instructional staff may be extended to ninety-six (96) months on an annual contractual basis upon written request to/and approval by the Superintendent.

Retirement Procedures and all Florida Retirement Service retirement guides published by the state of Florida, Department of Management Services, Division of Retirement are incorporated by reference and are part of this Board policy.

F.S. 112.08, 112.1915, 440.491
F.S. 1012.26, 1012.61, 1012.65, 1012.74, 1012.798