Employee Benefits

The 457(b) deferred compensation plan is a retirement plan that is available for governmental employees.

• Save money directly from your paycheck for retirement.
• Defer the tax bill until you withdraw the money.
• Choose between pretax or after-tax (Roth) basis.
• Elect to participate or change contributions at any time.

• Three 8-hour days granted for immediate family member death.
• One 8-hour day for other family member.

Stark County has chosen Delta Dental of Minnesota to provide dental care coverage.  100% of premiums are paid by the employee.

• $1,500 Maximum payment per person per coverage year on all services
• $1,000 Maximum orthodontic payment per person total per lifetime between ages of 8 and up to 19.
• $100 Deductible per person total per lifetime
• 100% coverage of Diagnostic & Preventative Services such as exams, cleanings, & fluoride
• 80% coverage of Basic Services such as sealants, fillings, & root canals
• 55% coverage of Major Services such as oral surgery, crowns, bridges, implants, & dentures

• AT&T and Verizon discounts
• 25% off West River Community Center memberships with automatic payroll deduction
• 50% off Medora Musical tickets and Bully Pulpit golf packages

Stark County has chosen The Village Employee Assistance Program to provide 24/7 access to services.

• Confidential service that provides assessment, counseling, and resources.
• Up to 4 free counseling sessions per family member per year either in person or via the web
• Financial counseling
• Comprehensive chemical dependency services
• Round-the-clock Crisis counseling
• Formal referral case management
• Training & Development

Stark County has chosen WEX to administer its Flexible Spending Account (FSA).

• Pay for certain out-of-pocket medical or dependent care costs with tax-free dollars.
• Use FSA to pay for copayments, deductibles, prescription drugs.
• Use Dependent Care Account to pay for daycare, preschool, and summer day camp.
• Automatic payroll deduction set up.
• Debit card to pay for expenses not covered by insurance.
• Submit claims online through WEX for easy reimbursement.
• Funds must be used by the end of the plan year.  $610 carryover is allowed by Stark County.

Regular full-time employees who are scheduled to work, shall take each holiday off and receive full pay (8 hours of pay).

Regular full time and regular part time employees who work on a holiday shall receive hour for hour compensation (up to 8 hours) in addition to their regular pay.

Stark County will observe the following holidays:

• New Year’s Day
• Martin Luther King Day (M)
• Presidents Day (M)
• Good Friday
• Memorial Day (M)
• July 4^th
• Labor Day
• Veteran’s Day (November 11)
• Thanksgiving Day plus the Friday after
• Christmas Day
• County Offices will close at noon on December 24^th, unless it is a holiday or weekend pursuant to NDCC 1-03-02.
• Any other day appointed by the Governor of North Dakota as a public holiday, or by motion of the Board of County Commissioners.

Monday holidays are indicated by the (M).

When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the holiday will be observed the preceding Friday. When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the holiday will be observed on the following Monday.

Stark County provides a $12,000 basic life insurance policy for all benefit-eligible employees
through North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System (NDPERS).

• Voya Financial is the carrier for this plan.
• Additional coverage can be purchased for yourself, spouse, and dependents.
• Initial enrollment is available within 31 days of hire with guaranteed issue of up to $200,000.
• Maximum amount of basic plus supplemental life insurance is $600,000.

Regular Full-Time and Regular Part Time employees who have been employed with the County for a period of five consecutive years or more shall be considered eligible and shall receive, in addition to their regular pay, a longevity payment in December of each year.

Rate: 

One through ten years of service                        $3.00/month

Eleven through twenty years of service               $3.50/month

Twenty-one years and over service                    $4.00/month

For example, the minimum longevity payment would be 60 months (5 years) x $3.00 per month = $180

Stark County has selected Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota to provide health insurance benefits to our employees.

• Stark County pays 90% of the single premium.
• Stark County pays 80% of the premium when adding children, spouse, or family.
• $500 individual Deductible, $750 parent and children, $1,000 employee and spouse, $1,000 family.
• $3,000 out-of-pocket limit for individual, $4,500 parent and children, $6,000 employee and spouse, $6,000 family.
• $30 copay for provider's office visit
• $150 copay for emergency room visit
• 20% coinsurance for diagnostic services, inpatient stay, outpatient surgery
• $5 copay for Value Drugs; $15 copay + 20% coinsurance for Formulary; $15 copay + 50% sanction for Non-formulary drugs.

Stark County contributes to NDPERS on behalf of its employees to a Defined Benefit Plan.  This is commonly known as a pension plan.

• Upon retirement, you will receive a guaranteed monthly benefit for your lifetime.
• Every month that a contribution is made to NDPERS, you earn service credit.
• Benefits are based on the calculation of Final Average Salary X Benefit Multiplier X Years of service credit.
• NDPERS is responsible for all of the planning and investment risk.
• The advantages of defined benefit plans are fixed payout, protection from market fluctuations, and tax benefits.  

• Main - Defined Benefit Hybrid 
  
• Public Safety

Regular full-time employees accrue 4 hours of sick leave on the first two pay dates of each month. 

• 96 hours accrue annually.
• There is no limit to the amount of sick leave hours that may be accumulated.
• Up to 80 hours of sick leave may be used in a calendar year as Family Sick Leave for an illness or medical need in the employee's immediate family.

Regular full-time employees earn vacation leave in relation to length of service as follows:

Service Years   Accrual   Hours/Year

• Vacation leave begins to accrue for each new employee from the first day of employment.
• Vacation leave will accrue on the first two pay dates of each month.
• Employees may only carryover 240 hours of vacation each year as of June 1^st 

Stark County has chosen Avesis to provide vision care benefits.  Employees pay 100% of the premium.

• Yearly eye exam - $10 copay
• Yearly lenses - $0 copay with Level 7 lens option package included.
• Frame Allowance - $150 every 2 years.
• Contact Lenses - $130 allowance every year.

Employees can purchase supplemental insurance coverage through Aflac and Colonial Life Insurance.

• Accident
• Cancer/Specified Disease
• Critical Illness
• Hospital 
• Life 
• Short-Term Disability