Voluntary Benefits

The City of Fort Worth offers a Deferred Compensation Plan or a 457 Plan, to make saving for your retirement easier and more convenient. You may contribute on a pre-tax or a post-tax Roth basis.

The 457 Deferred Compensation Plan offers a range of high and lower risk investment options, including target retirement date funds that are actively managed with a goal retirement date in mind. A brokerage account also allows you to invest in hundreds of mutual funds. You may contribute up to the IRS limit each year and change your contribution amount and/or investment allocations online anytime.

The 457 Deferred Compensation Committee monitors the performance of the plan. The committee meets quarterly and meetings are open to the public.

Visit the TIAA website.

The credit union is open to you, your spouse, and your dependent children as soon as your employment with the City of Fort Worth begins. All you have to do is pay a $1 membership fee and deposit $25 or more to open a checking or savings account. For more information, visit the Fort Worth City Credit Union website or call 817-732-2803.

After completing the initial probationary period, regular full-time employees who plan to attend college or receive training in a business or technical field that is related to a city career field may be able to receive financial assistance through the Education Reimbursement Program.

The program is designed to meet organization goals by assisting employees who elect to improve their job performance or increase their skills through education. Participation should be mutually beneficial to both the employee and the City of Fort Worth, and every employee participating in the program must have approval from their department.

Reimbursement

The maximum amount the City will reimburse per semester is $1,500 ($4,500 per calendar year). Tuition is paid directly to the school by the employee, but reimbursement of fees will be included in the employee’s paycheck when grades are submitted. Only grades C and higher in undergraduate courses, and B or higher in graduate-level courses (or “pass” in ungraded courses) are eligible for reimbursement.

If an employee voluntarily leaves the city after receiving educational reimbursement, they must pay back 100 percent of the amount reimbursed in the 12 months prior to leaving, and 50 percent of fees reimbursed 13-24 months prior to leaving. If an employee works at least two years after receiving an educational reimbursement, no repayment is required.

Getting started

Prior to beginning a class, complete a Tuition Reimbursement Application. Applications, as well as grades and an itemized receipt, must be turned in by that semester’s deadline to receive reimbursement.

Choosing a degree plan

Several degrees are generally allowed in the Education Reimbursement Program, but others may qualify. Check with the Benefits Office prior to selecting a degree plan. The following are examples of acceptable degrees:

• Associate of Arts (Business, Mass Communication, General Speech, and Communication)
• Associate of Science (Accounting, Business, Geographical Information Systems, Information Technology, Management, Office Administration)
• Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science (Accounting, Business, Criminal Justice, Environmental Science, and Engineering)
• Master of Business Administration
• Master of Public Administration
• Master in City and Regional Planning
• Master of Library Science

The City of Fort Worth offers a Voluntary Leave Bank that provides up to 240 hours of continued income after you’ve exhausted all your accrued leave. The hours are provided if you are required to miss work due to a personal medical emergency or to care for an immediate family member who has had a medical emergency.

If you are a first-time enrollee, four hours of vacation time will be deducted from your leave accrual once you have completed your probationary period. Each subsequent year you are enrolled, one hour of vacation is deducted from your total each January.

Current offerings available to city employees on the Beneplace website include vision, pre-paid legal, home and auto insurance, pet insurance and identity theft coverage. You can enroll online through the Beneplace website, where city employees can also purchase items and tickets at discounted rates.

Tickets include local options like Six Flags Over Texas, the Fort Worth Zoo, Legoland Discovery Center, and discounted movie tickets. If planning a vacation, you can also find discounted amusement park tickets for parks nationwide, as well as discounts on cruises and hotel stays.

Beneplace also offers discounts on items or your home, sporting equipment, dining, electronics, or services for your car. You can also purchase supplemental benefits through Beneplace.