It pays to be a South Carolina State employee. Below is a list of perks and benefits offered to qualified employees:
Insurance
The S.C. Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA) offers State employees a choice of health insurance plans, dental insurance, basic life insurance, optional life insurance, dependent life insurance, long-term care insurance, basic long-term disability insurance, supplemental long-term disability insurance, pre-tax spending accounts for medical expenses and child care services, and a vision care program.
Coverage begins in the first full month of employment and can extend to include the employee’s family. Changes made within 31 days of the date of hire or within 31 days of a special eligibility situation (marriage, birth of a child, etc.) are automatically accepted for coverage.
Retirement
PEBA also provides service and disability retirement, vesting rights, survivor benefits, and group life insurance coverage.
Deferred Compensation
DAODAS employees also receive payroll-deducted, tax-deferred investment opportunities through 401(k) and 457 retirement plans coordinated through PEBA.
Paid Leave
Each year, most employees earn 15 days of paid sick leave to be used for personal or family illness or doctor’s appointments and 15 days of paid annual leave to be used for vacations and personal time off. Both sick leave and annual leave are accrued monthly and can be carried over into later calendar years. In addition, paid leave time is allowed for blood drives, bone marrow donations, military service, death in the immediate family, jury duty, and elections.
Unpaid Leave
Unpaid leave is allowed for disabilities, the birth or adoption of a child, to care for a spouse or immediate family member with a serious health condition, or when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition. Employees may be able to substitute paid leave for unpaid leave depending on the situation.
Educational Assistance & Tuition Assistance Programs
The purpose of the Educational Assistance Program is to support employees’ participation in educational activities that directly relate to the agency’s identified knowledge, skills, and behaviors, and that support the mission, vision, and values of the agency. The program provides financial assistance to employees for educational costs. This assistance is separate from the agency’s Tuition Assistance Program, which provides reimbursement for tuition and lab fees at South Carolina institutions of higher learning accredited by organizations that are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and/or the S.C. Commission on Higher Education.
Flexible Hours
In an effort to accommodate individual work habits, DAODAS provides employees the opportunity to flex their work schedules as necessary to meet specific needs.
Technology
All DAODAS employees use state-of-the-art hardware and software and high-speed networking computer technology.
Social Security
Employees are automatically enrolled in the federal Social Security Administration. The state matches the amount that employees pay into the Social Security system.
Holidays
State holidays granted by the General Assembly include the following:
- New Year’s Day – January 1
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Third Monday in January
- George Washington’s Birthday / President’s Day – Third Monday in February
- Confederate Memorial Day – May 10
- Memorial Day – Last Monday in May
- Independence Day – July 4
- Labor Day – First Monday in September
- Veteran’s Day – November 11
- Thanksgiving Day – Fourth Thursday in November
- Day After Thanksgiving Day – Fourth Friday in November
- Christmas Eve – December 24
- Christmas Day – December 25
- Day After Christmas – December 26
* Generally, if a holiday falls on a Saturday, employees working a Monday through Friday schedule will observe the holiday on the preceding Friday. If a holiday falls on a Sunday, employees working a Monday through Friday schedule will observe the holiday on the following Monday.
Worker's Compensation
Employees are covered by the benefits of the S.C. Workers’ Compensation Commission if they are injured or suffer an illness arising out of or in the course of their employment. Benefits include medical expenses, and in the case of disability, protection against total loss of income.
Unemployment Compensation
State employees are covered under the unemployment insurance program administered through the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce.
