State of North Carolina Benefits (insurance, how much, buy)

[lepoisson]

Anyone a state employee here? How are the benefits?

Based on my research, it's VERY expensive to add a spouse and children to the plan (over $700 with health, vision and dental benefits).

[ucctgg]

Originally Posted by lepoisson

Anyone a state employee here? How are the benefits?

Based on my research, it's VERY expensive to add a spouse and children to the plan (over $700 with health, vision and dental benefits).

That sounds about right. My wife and son are $598 w/o vision/dental. 70/30 plan.

[BC1960]

I work in local government, but am part of the state retirement plan. Its a pretty good pension plan, plus its well funded, so I am reasonably secure that it will be able to meet its future obligations.

[twingles]

Yes benefits are very expensive. I went back to the private sector, saved myself $600/month on benefits for a way better plan.

[Francois]

I left the state 3 years ago, but I know that the oft-stated "Oh, you work for the state, you must get great benefits!" is bull. During the time I was there, benefits got worse, as a rule.

The worst, as people are saying, is family health coverage. Employee coverage (for yourself) is a good deal, but I think they make it expensive, hoping that if a spouse works, they will put the family on THEIR coverage. Of course, the spouse's employer might have that same philosophy...

Dental and Vision insurance are extra. I don't remember how much, but it was enough that I went without dental insurance. And there is some clause so you can't just buy it for the year you need it, like if your dentist tells you that you need a crown, you can't just delay it until the next year and buy Dental insurance starting January.

The one benefit that IS good for state employees is time off: 12 holidays a year, 1 day a month sick time (which accumulates), and you start with 14 days vacation which goes up by 3 days every 5 years. Also, you get 24 hours/3 days per year of volunteer/community involvement time, to go to things at your kid's school, do volunteer work, etc. I do a lot of volunteer work so I really miss that.

Raises are rare; we went several years with NO raise (often they would give us an extra week of vacation instead, which was useless for those who already had several weeks banked, although you do get to cash it out when you leave or retire). When they do give a raise, it's rarely more than 2%.

Longevity pay after 10 years, something like 1.5%, and I think it goes up on 15 and 20 (I left at 14).

Of course the pay is low, and they take 6% off the top to fund your retirement, which is based on a formula of your best 4 years' salary and number of years/months worked.

You now have to be there 20 years to get lifetime health benefits (when I was there it was 5, thankfully--though I still have to meet the requirements for collecting retirement which is age 60 bare minimum).