DC Water offers an exhaustive and comprehensive benefits package that enables DC Water to attract and retain a highly qualified and diverse workforce. The DC Water Benefits Program is a cafeteria plan as defined by the Internal Revenue Service under Section 125. For new hires, benefits are effective at the first of the month following your date of hire. A brief summary of the benefits offered under the DC Water Benefits Program is as follows:

Health Insurance

Eligible employees have a choice among three plans:

• CIGNA Open Access Plus Plan 
• CIGNA Network Plan 
• Kaiser Permanente HMO 

The employee portion of the health insurance premium is 23% of the total monthly premium. When electing coverage, you have a choice between a 3-tier coverage category. You can choose coverage for yourself, yourself and one dependent, or yourself and two or more dependents.

Your share of the premium cost is deducted directly from your paycheck on a biweekly basis. All health insurance premium deductions are made on a pre-tax basis.

Group Term Life Insurance

Eligible employees are automatically provided basic life insurance at one times annual base pay, and 100% of the premium is paid by DC Water. 

Supplemental life insurance can be elected from one to five times your annual base pay, up to a maximum of $400,000.00 (combined Basic and Supplemental Life). You pay 100% of the cost of the insurance and it is deducted from your paycheck on a biweekly basis. The premium is determined based on your age and the amount of coverage you elect.

Voluntary accidental death and dismemberment insurance can be elected in multiples of $25,000, up to $100,000. You pay 100% of the cost of the insurance and it is deducted from your paycheck on a biweekly basis. 

Dependent life insurance can be elected for your eligible spouse in the amount of $10,000 or $20,000 and each eligible child in the amount of $5,000 or $10,000/. You pay 100% of the cost of the insurance, and it is deducted from your paycheck on a biweekly basis.

Dental Insurance

Eligible employees have a choice between two plans:

• Delta Dental PPO 
• United Concordia DHMO 

If you elect the Delta Dental PPO plan, you pay 50% of the total monthly premium. If you elect the United Concordia DHMO plan, DC Water pays 100% of the premium costs. When electing coverage, you have a choice between a 3-

tier coverage category. You can choose coverage for yourself, yourself and one dependent, or yourself and two or more dependents.

Your share of the premium cost is deducted directly from your paycheck on a biweekly basis.

Vision Coverage

Eligible employees can elect coverage through the UnitedHealthCare Vision Care Plan. If you elect coverage, DC Water pays 100% of the premium costs. When electing coverage, you have a choice between a 3-tier coverage category. You can choose coverage for yourself, yourself and one dependent, or yourself and two or more dependents.

Disability Insurance

Eligible employees can elect Short-Term Disability (STD) and/or Long-Term Disability (LTD). LTD coverage pays 66 2/3% of your basic monthly salary up to $8,000 monthly. Short-Term Disability (STD) coverage pays 50% of your weekly pay up to $2,000 for 26 weeks. Both can be paid on a pre-tax or after-tax basis. You pay 100% of the premium costs.

Flexible Spending Accounts

Health Care FSA: You can set aside up to $2,500 per year into a Health Care FSA on a tax-free basis and use this money to pay for eligible out-of-pocket health care cost that are not covered by your medical, dental or vision benefit. 

Dependent Care FSA: You can contribute up to $5,000 per year on a tax-free basis into a Dependent Care FSA and use this money to pay for eligible dependent care expenses. Non-represented employees receive matching contributions in the Dependent Care FSA up to $2,500.

Group Legal Services

Group legal services provides access to network of attorneys and financial advisors than can help you deal with legal and financial issues. 

Retirement

DC Water's retirement program consists of:

• Section 401(a) Defined Contribution Plan 
• Section 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan 

Eligible employees automatically become a participant of the Section 401(a) Defined Contribution Plan upon date of hire. No contributions by you are permitted to this plan. DC Water will make a contribution on your behalf of 7% of annual base pay plus 5% of your base pay over the Social Security Wage Base. Also, if you elect to participate in DC Water's Section 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan, DC Water will contribute an additional matching contribution of 100% of the amount you voluntarily elect to defer annually to the 457(b) plan up to 5% of your annual base pay. You become fully vested in the employer contributions made to the Section 401(a) Defined Contribution Plan after completing 3 years of continuous service.

Eligible employees can voluntarily elect to participate in the Section 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan any time after your date of hire. Only employee contributions are permitted to this plan. If you elect to participate in the Section 457(b) plan, you decide on the amount you want to contribute biweekly, and that amount will be deducted from your paycheck on a pre-tax basis. You can contribute up to the Internal Revenue Service annual maximum amount.

• Retirement Health Savings Plan (Only offered to Non Represented Employees)

The Retirement Health Savings (RHS) plan allows eligible employees to use sick leave that is usually forfeited upon termination, to fund an account that can be used to pay for eligible medical expenses.  Eligibility is established based upon termination if you have five years of service and 100 hours of sick leave.

Additional Benefits

Smartbenefits Transit Benefit Program

The program allows you to set aside pre-tax dollars to be used for expenses associated with commuting to and from work.  A transit subsidy program is available for employees who work at 1100 Fourth Street, SW and 80 M Street, SE.

Paid Leave

DC Water offers the following types of paid leave: 

• Annual Leave 
• Sick Leave 
• Personal Leave
• Annual Floating Holiday

Eligible employees accrue Annual Leave and Sick Leave each pay period in accordance with the following schedule:

Years of Service Annual Leave Sick Leave

Eligible employees can earn Personal Leave through an incentive program for not using sick leave in accordance with the following schedule: 

• Five (5) personal leave days (40 hours) for not using any accrued sick leave in a leave year. 
• Three (3) personal leave days (24 hours) for using no more than two (2) days of accrued sick leave in a leave year. 
• Two (2) personal leave days (16 hours) for using no more than four (4) days of accrued sick leave in a leave year.

Holidays

DC Water observes the following holidays:

• New Year's Day 
• Martin Luther King, Jr. 
• Presidential Inauguration Day (When Applicable)
• Presidents' Day 
• Memorial Day 
• Juneteenth
• Independence Day 
• Labor Day 
• Columbus Day 
• Veterans Day 
• Thanksgiving Day 
• Christmas Day 

Employee Assistance Program

Eligible employees and their dependents have access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at no cost. EAP provides counseling and resources to help deal with emotional, marital, family, financial and legal problems.

Education Assistance and Reimbursement Program

The Education Assistance and Reimbursement Program provides financial assistance for employees to support endeavors in acquiring additional knowledge and skills.  There is a $5,000 annual maximum benefit for certification programs for both undergraduate and graduate work. If you receive a grade of a "B” or better or a “Pass”, you will receive 100% of your requested payment, up to the maximum allotment. For undergraduate work only, you will receive an 80% reimbursement for a grade of “C”.