Accomack County offers the following comprehensive benefits to all full-time employees. This summary is intended to be merely an overview of each benefit.  It is not intended to nor does it convey all benefit provisions, limitations, and exclusions. If there is a disparity between any information contained in this summary and the official plan documents, the plan documents will prevail.

Holidays

Accomack has approved the following list of holidays.  Note that essential employees may be required to work on any of these holidays but will be compensated or provided additional time off if that is the case.

• New Year's Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Presidents Day
• Memorial Day
• Juneteenth
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Columbus Day
• Election Day
• Veteran's Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Day After Thanksgiving
• Christmas Day

Vacation Leave

At a minimum, regular full-time Accomack County employees earn vacation leave based on the following schedule.  Select full-time employees assigned to work periods that exceed 40 hours per week receive additional vacation leave above what is listed below.

Sick Leave

Regular full-time employees earn 15 days of sick leave a year. This time is accrued at the rate of 5 hours per pay period or 10 hours per month.  Select full-time employees assigned to work periods that exceed 40 hours per week receive additional sick leave.

Retirement

Accomack County participates in the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) defined benefit plan. The plan provides retirement benefits for full time employees. Employees are in one of three categories: Plan 1, Plan 2 or Hybrid Plan employees. Plan 1 employees are employees hired prior to July 1, 2010 or hired after July 1, 2010 with prior VRS service credit and vested (5 years of service) by January 1, 2013. Plan 2 employees are those hired on or after July 1, 2010, rehired with no prior service credit in VRS, or hired before July 1, 2010 and not vested by January 1, 2013. Hybrid Plan employees are employees hired after January 1, 2014.

All full time employees contribute 5 percent of their income on a pre-tax basis to VRS. The county also contributes a percentage of all full-time salaries to VRS. The percentage is determined biannually by VRS.

The Hybrid Plan is a combination of a defined benefit (pension) plan, and a defined contribution (retirement savings) plan. Of the 5% mandatory contribution, 1% goes to the defined contribution plan. Employees can voluntarily elect to contribute up to an additional 4% to the defined contribution plan, and receive an employer match of up to 2.5%.

Participants of VRS are vested once 5 years of creditable service are earned.

Plan 1 Retirement Benefit: The retirement benefit is determined by your age, highest 36 consecutive months of salary and years of service. VRS Plan 1 participants are eligible for full retirement benefits at age 65 with at least five years of service or at age 50 with at least 30 years of service. Participants may also retire as early as age 55 with at least five years of creditable service or as early as age 50 with at least 10 years of creditable service.

Plan 2 Retirement Benefit: The retirement benefit is determined by your age, highest 60 consecutive months of salary and years of service. VRS Plan 2 participants are eligible for full retirement benefits when the normal Social Security retirement age is reached and with at least five years of service credit, or when age and years of service equal 90. Participants may also retire early at age 60 with at least five years of service credit.

Hybrid Retirement Benefit: The retirement benefit is determined by your age, highest 60 consecutive months of salary and years of service. VRS participants are eligible for full retirement benefits when the normal Social Security retirement age is reached and with at least five years of service credit, or when age and years of service equal 90. Participants may also retire early at age 60 with at least five years of service credit. The percentage used to calculate the retirement benefit is lower than what is used for Plan 1 and Plan 2 employees. Employees use the defined contribution plan (retirement savings) to supplement their benefit.

Hazardous Duty Retirement Supplement

The County offers employees who retire with at least 20 years of hazardous duty service credit an additional annual retirement supplement that is added to their normal monthly retirement benefit.  The supplement begins at retirement and continues until normal retirement age under Social Security, or until age 65 for eligible VaLORS member.  To view the current  hazardous duty supplement, click here.

Health and Vision Insurance

The County offers two health insurance plans to full-time employees.  Employees may choose either of these two plans.  Both are Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO) type plans administered by Anthem.  Anthem KeyCare 15 Plus is the richest option in terms of plan benefits however the lower cost option, KeyCare 20 Plus, also has very robust coverage as compared to health insurance plans offered in the private sector.  Both of these plans provide basic vision benefits.  An enhanced vision benefit plan, Blue View Vision, is also available.  A summary of benefits and coverage for each plan is available by clicking the link below.

• Anthem KeyCare 15 Plus Summary of Benefits
• Anthem KeyCare 20 Plus Summary of Benefits
• Anthem Blue View Vision Benefits-at-a Glance

Employees may choose between four tiers of coverage: employee only, employee and child(ren), employee and spouse, and family coverage.   Premiums are deducted on a pre-tax basis.  Monthly premiums for each plan, effective 6/1/2024, are as follows:

Anthem Key Care 15 Plus PPO with Basic Vision Coverage

Anthem Key Care 20 Plus PPO with Basic Vision Coverage

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

The County's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is confidential information, support, and referral service offering tools and resources designed to help maximize productivity and meet the challenges of modern life. EAP services are available to employees and their household members at no additional cost to them. Areas frequently addressed by the EAP include emotional well-being, child care and parenting, financial issues, legal concerns, and addiction and recovery.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Service Summary

Dental Insurance

Participation in the dental plan is voluntary. Employees have two dental insurance plans to choose from. Both are administered by Anthem.  The Anthem Dental Complete Value Plan is a basic dental plan that covers diagnostic and preventive care as well as basic dental services.  The other plan, Anthem Dental Complete Classic Passive PPO Plan, expands the coverage offered by the Value Plan to include coverage for major restorative dental services and orthodontia.  Premiums are deducted on a pre-tax basis. Monthly premiums for each plan, effective 6/1/2021, are as follows:

Anthem Dental Complete Value Plan

Anthem Dental Complete Classic Passive PPO Plan

Life Insurance

The County provides basic group term life insurance to employees through the Virginia Retirement System, and underwritten by Minnesota Life Insurance Company. This coverage is provided at no cost to the employee. For a natural death, the benefit is equal to the employee's pay (rounded to the next $1,000), and then doubled. For accidental death, the benefit is four times the employee's pay. There is no maximum limitation on this benefit.

Optional Life Insurance

This program allows employees to elect up to eight times their pay (not to exceed a maximum of $800,000) of additional life insurance. This plan also allows employees to purchase coverage for a spouse and/or children. A spouse’s benefit is up to one-half the employee's benefit amount. Coverage for children is $10,000, $20,000 or $30,000 per child. Some levels of coverage may require Evidence of Insurability and may be subject to limitations. Optional Life Insurance is 100% paid for by the employee on an after tax basis. Premiums for the employee and spouse are based on the age of the insured person and increase with age. Premiums for children are based on level of coverage and cover all children; there is no per-child rate.

Short-term Disability/Sick Leave Bank

Accomack County provides a short-term disability plan for full-time employees participating in the VRS Hybrid Retirement Plan.  The plan provides for short-term income protection to cover periods of extended illness or injury.  Employees participating in VRS Plan 1 or VRS Plan 2 are not eligible for the short-term disability plan mentioned above but do have access to the County Sick Leave Bank which provides up to 45 days of additional sick leave in a twelve month period for prolonged or long-term illness or injury.

Retiree Health Insurance Credit

Employees who retire with 15 or more years of creditable service or retire on disability are eligible to receive a monthly health insurance credit to assist them with the cost of health insurance premiums.  The credit is administered by VRS and is added to the retiree’s monthly retirement benefit.  The amount of the month credit is based on years of service.  For each year of service, the retiree is entitled to a monthly credit of $1.50 with a maximum monthly credit of $45.   The credit cannot exceed the amount of the retirees individual health insurance premium. 

Family Medical Leave (FMLA)

Eligible employees may use up to twelve (12) weeks of job-protected leave under FMLA in a fixed 12-month period. In order to be eligible, employees must have worked for Accomack County for at least one year prior to being eligible for leave under FMLA. In addition employees must have worked a minimum of 1,250 hours during the 12 months prior to the leave in order for it to qualify as FMLA.

Bereavement Leave

In order to provide an employee with sufficient time to deal with the loss of a loved one, the County provides up to 5 days of paid leave following the death of an immediate family member. 

Civil Leave

The County provides employees with paid leave for any absence necessitated by the employee serving jury duty or when subpoenaed as a witness to appear before a court or duly authorized public body or commission.

Military Leave

Employees are eligible for up to fifteen (15) days of military leave in a calendar year when activated for training or operational deployment with their military unit. This leave does not count against accumulated annual leave.

Professional Development-Tuition Assistance

Accomack County is a learning organization.  Employees are encouraged to participate in courses which will help them enhance their ability to perform their job. Employees may apply for tuition assistance upon completion of their probationary period subject to approval of their Department Head. Certain restrictions apply.

Professional Development-Conferences, Seminars etc.

Accomack County supports the professional development of its employees.  Employees are encouraged to attend conferences, workshops, seminars, and other training activities that contribute to their advancement. 

Deferred Compensation

The County provides employees an additional opportunity to save for retirement. The County offers two different 457 deferred compensation plans which provide employees the ability to make voluntary contributions towards their retirement income. These contributions are made on a pre-tax basis.

Long-Term Disability

One of two long-term disability programs covers all full time employees.  One program is administered by VRS and the other by Standard Insurance.  Plan 1 and Plan 2 VRS employees are covered by the VRS administered program.  VRS Hybrid plan employees are covered by the Standard Insurance administered plan. 

Other Employee Benefits

The following other benefits are available to employees.  The cost associated with each is paid by the employee only.

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Dependent Care
• NASA Credit Union Membership
• Virginia Credit Union Membership
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Intensive Care Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Cancer Insurance
• Legal Services
• Whole Life Insurance

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