- Educational Assistance
- Employee Assistance Program
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Group Life Insurance
- Group Long Term Disability
- Health & Dental Insurance
- Leave Information
- South Carolina Retirement
- Supplemental Life Insurance
- Vision Plan
- 401K & 457 Plan
The purpose of the county's Educational Assistance Program is twofold: (1) the development of a highly skilled, well educated, and professional county work force, and (2) the retention and motivation of valuable personnel through opportunities for advancement within the organization.
This program provides financial assistance to employees for academic and technical course work and/or degrees directly employment related for: (1) developing advanced knowledge, skills and abilities within a current field of work, and (2) meeting minimum educational qualifications for career advancement within the county organization; and it is supplemental to training received through annual departmental appropriations.
To be eligible to participate in the Educational Assistance Program, an employee must:
1. Be a regular status employee.
2. For full-time employees, have a minimum of three years service with the county at the time of application. For part-time employees, have a minimum of five years service with the county at the time of application.
3. Have recommendation from his/her supervisor and department head.
Almost all of us at one time or another experience serious personal problems. Sometimes they affect job performance, sometimes they don't. Because Beaufort County Council values our employees personally, as well as the work they do, we provide a comprehensive "Employee Assistance Program" (EAP) to give them the help they need, when they need it. EAP is confidential, professional and available for those times when we all have personal problems. No problem is too big or too small. EAP can assist you in the following problem areas: marital, family, children, financial/legal, alcohol abuse, drug and substance abuse, grief, anxiety, depression, stress and other personal or emotional problems.
For the EAP, please call 888-293-6948 or 877-851-1631.
Flexible Spending Accounts allow our employees to set aside money to pay for their benefits and their medical or dependent care expenses - all on a pre-tax basis! This lowers their taxable income, which means they bring home more of their net pay! Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) are similar to a checking account. Our employees can deposit pre-tax money from their paychecks to use later. They can pay for qualified medical expenses not covered by the company's health plan or pay for dependent care expenses. When Blue Cross Blue Shield processes claims through the Blue Cross Blue Shield system, they automatically roll them into the FSA reimbursement system. Deductibles, copayments and coinsurance are automatically reimbursed to the participants.
Beaufort County Council provides life insurance plans for all regular full-time employees. Full-time regular employees are provided basic life and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) policies. Both policies have a benefit of one times the annual salary through Standard Life Insurance Company. The basic life policy has a convertibility option if the covered employee leaves employment. In addition, Beaufort County provides a basic life insurance policy equivalent to one times the annual salary through the South Carolina Retirement System*.
In the event of death, Beaufort County Council shall pay one month's salary to a full time regular employee's beneficiary or estate.
*Provisions apply.
All full-time regular employees are granted long term disability insurance through Standard Life Insurance Company. Employees enrolled in the long-term disability program become eligible for disability benefits after one hundered and eighty (180) calendar days of continuous sickness or accident disability in which the employee received no income. The monthly benefit amount is 60% of the employee's annual salary.
Personal Leave Days | Holidays
& Holiday Pay | Disability
Military | Jury Duty | Educational | Administrative | Family & Medical
Funeral | Workers Compensation
It is the policy of Beaufort County to provide leave to all eligible employees, for leisure time, personal time, and time lost from work due to illness or injury, family emergencies or medical and dental appointments. Employees are expected to give as much advance notice as possible for scheduled absences. Employees are expected to notify their supervisor immediately upon learning the need for an unscheduled absence. Failure to give notice may result in the request for leave being denied.
The PLD account is established for regular full-time employees. Personal Leave Days are accrued by eligible employees receiving pay from Beaufort County for any of the following: 1) days worked, 2) days taken as PLD, 3) days taken for jury duty, or 4) any other approved time off with pay.
1. Regular employees accrue PLD provided they are “in pay status” at least fifty percent of the time.
2. Accrual rates for regular employees:
Service |
Hours/Pay Period |
Hours/Year |
Days/Year |
| 0-6 months* | 0 |
0 |
6 |
| 6 mos. - 1 yr. | 3.693 |
48 |
6 |
| 1 yr. - 5 yrs. | 4.616 |
120 |
15 |
| 5 yrs.- 10 yrs. | 6.154 |
160 |
20 |
| 10 yrs. and over | 7.692 |
200 |
25 |
*PLD is credited after the completion of six months.
3. Accrual rates for regular Emergency Medical Service (EMS) employees working 24 hours shifts:
Service |
Hours/Pay Period |
Hours/Year |
Days/Year |
| 0-6 months* | 0 |
0 |
3 shifts |
| 6 mos. - 1 yr. | 5.193 |
67.50 |
3 shifts |
| 1 yr. - 5 yrs. | 6.032 |
156.84 |
7 shifts |
| 5 yrs.- 10 yrs. | 8.045 |
209.18 |
9 shifts |
| 10 yrs. and over | 10.154 |
264 |
11 shifts |
4. Accrual rates for regular Hilton Head Airport employees working 24 hours shifts:
Service |
Hours/Pay Period |
Hours/Year |
Days/Year |
| 0-6 months* | 0 |
0 |
3 shifts |
| 6 mos. - 1 yr. | 5.5390 |
72 |
3 shifts |
| 1 yr. - 5 yrs. | 6.4615 |
168 |
7 shifts |
| 5 yrs.- 10 yrs. | 8.3077 |
216 |
9 shifts |
| 10 yrs. and over | 10.1540 |
264 |
11 shifts |
*PLD is credited after the completion of six months.
5. Maximum Accrual Balance
A maximum of two hundred and eighty hours may be accumulated in the PLD account. All PLD hours in excess of two hundred and eighty hours, up to a maximum of three hundred and sixty hours, will automatically be transferred to the Disability Leave DL account (described herein).
The following days are observed as holidays for Beaufort County employees:
New Year's Day...................... January 1
Martin Luther King Day........... 3rd Monday in January
Memorial Day ........................ Last Monday in May
Independence Day................... July 4
Labor Day............................... 1st Monday in September
Veterans Day.......................... November 11
Thanksgiving Day.................... 4th Thursday in November
Heritage Day........................... Friday after Thanksgiving
Christmas Eve......................... December 24
Christmas Day......................... December 25
1. In addition to the above, employees receive any other days off that are designated as holidays by the County Council.
2. Whenever a recognized holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed as the holiday. Whenever a recognized holiday falls on a Sunday the succeeding Monday is observed as the holiday.
3. For employees who work twenty-four hour shifts, the following governs: When a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the employees who work Saturday or Sunday receives holiday pay for the Saturday or Sunday and not for the Monday or Friday which the other county employees are off.
Holiday Pay
a. Employees who are scheduled to work, but perform no work on a holiday, are paid a holiday allowance equal to their regular pay without overtime. Employees who are not scheduled to work on a holiday will not receive holiday pay.
b. Employees required to work on a holiday are paid as follows:
Regular employees, including law enforcement, EMS and firefighters, receive holiday pay in the amount of one day's pay, and are paid at the regular rate for actual hours worked on the holiday.
The DL account is established for employees to use in the case of a debilitating injury or physical/mental illness. Regular employees may not use this account until all accrued hours in the PLD account have been used down to eighty hours. A maximum of three hundred and sixty hours may be retained in the DL account. The employee must present a doctor's certificate verifying the disability or illness in order to use this account. When an employee has consecutive days off due to a debilitating injury or illness which has been certified by a doctor, and his time off extends past the allowable limits of withdrawal for PLD, the County reserves the right to request a second opinion from a doctor.
All regular employees who are members of the South Carolina National Guard or any reserve unit of the United States Armed Forces are entitled to military leave in accordance with state and federal law. An employee going on military leave should present a copy of his/her orders to his Department Director within three (3) days of receiving them. The orders must accompany the application for leave to the Employee Services Department for filing.
Employees are paid by the County if subpoenaed or ordered to attend court or administrative hearings to testify in some official capacity on behalf of Beaufort County, the state or the federal government.
All regular employees are encouraged to take advantage of educational and vocational courses which will help improve their current positions and better prepare them for promotion to related and higher level positions in county service. Educational leave may be granted when it is in the best interest of the County and when it will not cause undue problems in the department. Employees may also be granted leave of absence with pay for educational purposes, not to exceed one month in any calendar year, to attend conferences, seminars, briefing sessions, or other functions of a similar nature that are intended to improve or upgrade the individual's skills or professional ability. An employee who takes an approved course during off-duty hours may be reimbursed 100% of tuition costs provided:
1. Approval is received from the Department Director and the County Administrator, Deputy Administrator or Controller, as appropriate, prior to the commencement of the course.
2. The course is job-related or related to a position within the department to which the employee can be promoted.
3. The course is successfully completed with a minimum grade of "C" at the undergraduate level and "B" at the graduate level.
4. The department has budgeted for and received approval for funding of the educational courses.
5. The approved course is not being paid for or reimbursed by federal, state, or other organizations or agency.
The county reserves the right to require an employee to reimburse, as on advance of wages, payment for a course if the employee voluntarily leaves county employment within a year to pursue a job in that occupation related to the course.
The County Administrator may cause county departments to close due to hazardous weather and authorize employees to be paid for the time lost as administrative leave. If hazardous weather conditions make it impossible for an employee to report to his place of work, or if the employee arrives late or leaves early, the employee may be allowed, at the discretion of the department director, to:
1. Make up the time lost from work at a time scheduled by the department director.
2. Use accrued PLD.
3. Take leave without pay.
When unable to report for work due to weather conditions,
employees shall notify their supervisors as soon as possible.
Family and Medical Leave of Absence
Employees who meet the length of service and hours worked requirement described above have rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). As a general rule, employees must request leave of absences under this law and policy, but in appropriate situations employees may be placed on leave status without application.
Reason for leave of absence
An eligible employee is granted a leave of absence under this law if a serious health condition (including disability resulting from an on-the-job-injury) prevents the employee from being able to perform his/her job, if the employee’s spouse, child or parent has a serious health condition and the employee must be absent from work in order to care for that relative, or to care for a natural child, adopted child or formerly placed foster child, provided that entitlement to leave to care for a child who is newly born or newly received in the employee’s household ends 12 months after a natural child is born or 12 months after an adopted or foster child is received in the employee’s household. Proof of need for leave of absence may be required.
Length of Leave
An eligible employee may take the equivalent of a total of 12 workweeks of leave during any 12 consecutive months. The County uses a “rolling” 12 months for determining leave availability. Leave to care for a newly born or newly received child may be taken consecutively. Leave required because of the employee’s own serious health condition or that of a spouse, child or parent may be taken intermittently or by means of a modified work schedule when necessary.
Effect of leave on Accrual of Fringe Benefits
Employees taking leave under this policy continue to pay their portion of fringe benefit premiums on the same date that such portion of premiums would be deducted from the employee’s wages. Unpaid time lost from work due to leave granted under this policy is not considered time worked for the purpose of accrual of paid time off.
Employee Responsibility
Employees who request leave under this policy are to give 30 days advance notice or such lesser amount of notice as is possible in the particular circumstances.
Employees may not engage in any type of employment while on leave of absence.
Light Duty
Employees who accept a light duty assignment because of a condition which qualifies them for FMLA leave will have a right to restoration to their regular positions for only 12 weeks counting both FMLA leave and time spent on light duty.
Termination of Leave of Absence
A leave of absence under this policy ends when the need for the leave of absence ends or when the maximum leave described above has been taken, which ever occurs sooner.
Reinstatement
At or before the conclusion of the FMLA leave of absence (or 12 week combination of leave of absence and time spent on light duty), the employee is entitled to reinstatement to his former position or to a position equivalent to his former position. The employee is to demonstrate that he/she is fit for duty and is to give reasonable notice of intent to return to work.
Extension of Leave without Benefits
An employee who is unable to perform the duties of his position due to his own disability and who has exhausted his entitlement to leave under FMLA by taking 12 weeks of leave may, upon written application, be granted up to an additional 12 weeks of leave. This additional leave of absence does not entitle the employee to reinstatement nor to payment of any portion of his health benefit plan premiums. If the employee is able to return to work prior to the exhaustion of his extended leave, he may be returned to his previous position if there is a vacancy which is to be filled, or to some other position of equal or lesser compensation for which he is best suited and in which there exists a vacancy which is to be filled. If the employee is not returned to active employment, he may be continued on extended leave of absence status until he is returned to active duty or his extended leave of absence expires, whichever occurs sooner.
Employees who have exhausted their FMLA leave under other circumstances, but who continue to require leave, which would qualify for FMLA leave if such leave had not been exhausted, may apply for an extended leave of absence for personal reasons for up to twelve (12) weeks. Such extended leaves are granted only on the discretion of the County Administrator upon recommendation of the employee’s Supervisor and Department Head.
Automatic Termination of Employment
An employee’s employment automatically terminates if he does not return to full active employment status at the conclusion of his leave of absence or extended leave of absence.
Special Situations
a. Spouses: When both a husband and a wife are employed their combined right to a leave of absence to care for a child or parent is 12 weeks in a 12 month period.
b. Key Employees: (salaried employee in highest 10% of all employees). Such employees may be denied reinstatement rights if reinstatement would cause substantial and grievous economic injury to operations.
NOTE: In no case will an employee have a greater right to a job than he would have had if he had not taken leave under this policy
Employees are provided up to three (3) works days or shifts to be absent from work during each fiscal year, due to the death of a member of their immediate family. The immediate family for the purpose of this leave is defined as: parent, spouse, child, brother, sister, mother-in-law, father-in-law, and grandparents. These days or shifts do not have to be taken simultaneously. This leave will not be cumulative from one year to the next year.
Employees must report all work related accidents immediately to his/her supervisor. Beaufort County provides Workers’ Compensation Insurance to provide medical benefits and/or compensation (indemnity) benefits for a covered worker who sustains a disabling injury by accident arising out of and in the course of employment.
All regular county employees are required to participate in the South Carolina Retirement System unless exempted by law. An employee is vested in the System after five (5) years of full-time service and may draw an annuity upon eligibility.
Regular Employees are eligible for full retirement benefits at age 65 or upon completion of 28 years of service of which five years must be earned service if you became an SCRS member on or after January 1, 2001.Provisions for earlier retirement are available. Employees contribute 6.5% of their salary to their retirement and Beaufort County Council contributes 9.39%.
Law Enforcement Employees are eligible for full retirement benefits at age 55 or upon completion of 25 years of service. Provisions for earlier retirement are available. Employees will contribute 6.5% of their salary to their retirement and the County contributes 11.05%.
You may establish up to six years of credit for any period of military service. This includes service in the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Select Reserves, and Army or Air National Guard. The cost is 16 percent of current salary or career highest fiscal year salary whichever is greater, for each year purchased. The cost for purchasing periods of less than one year will be prorated. Your discharge from service must be under conditions other than dishonorable. Military service credit may not overlap earned service (service for which regular contributions have been paid to the system) or other purchased service.
Disability retirement is available with over five (5) years of service credit .
If an active employee dies with at least one year's contribution into the system, the beneficiary is entitled to receive the equivalent of one year's salary as a benefit.
Employees retiring from Beaufort County Council shall be eligible for monthly benefit checks, if they meet the requirements as governed by the South Carolina Retirement System.
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AFLAC: For more information contact Cory Smith at (843) 298-3825.
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Standard Life Insurance: For more information contact Employee Services.
Beaufort County Council offers all regular full-time employees the opportunity to enroll in a comprehensive vision program through Spectera. Spectera allows all members access to in network as well as out of network benefits. Employees receive a comprehensive examination, as well as spectacle lenses and frames, or contact lenses based upon the schedule.
For more information visit Spectera.com.
The State of South Carolina Deferred Compensating
Program is a voluntary tax sheltered retirement program available
only to public employees. It was established in 1980 to allow employees
to supplement their South Carolina Retirement and Social Security
Benefits. The Deferred Compensation Commission, established by the
State, oversees the safety and security of the Program.
As a public employee in the State of South Carolina the Deferred
Compensation Program offers you a number of important features and
benefits to help reach your financial goals. When participating
in the Program, through the convenience of payroll deduction, you
realize a tax deferral each pay period and your deposits accumulate
tax deferred. In addition, you have a choice of investments: fixed
interest, and/or equities. Depending on which plan you choose, you
may have the ability to borrow money, tax free, from your account.
At retirement or termination, you have a multiple choice of withdrawal
options. Depending on which plan you choose, you may participate
at levels as small as two percent of your gross pay or $15 per month
and as much as $15,000 per year. You may shelter your savings from
current income taxes using one or both of two plans: 401(k) and
457.
As of December 31, 1998, there were over 65,000 public employees
participating in the Deferred Compensation Program with annual contributions
over $111 million. Since its inception, the Program has accumulated
over $1.2 billion in assets. In the past 12 months, 9,838 participants
received $64,358,912 in benefits from the Program.
Participants can make changes to their account via the web at
scrs.csplans.com or here once they have obtained a PIN number from CitiStreet. Our Beaufort
County group plan number is 1029.
For your convenience, you may choose to use CitiStreet's
paperless system. You can start, change or stop your enrollment
by simply calling the toll free number listed below.
South Carolina Deferred Compensation
C/O CitiStreet
P.O. Box 9182
Boston, MA 02209
1-(866)-826-7283 toll free
If you have additional questions, please contact the Employee Services Division.
