About FCPS Benefits

We welcome you to our benefit pages and have created these pages for ease in viewing your benefits, obtaining answers to your questions and seeking out information.  You will find information about your health, life, leave, retirement and wellness opportunities.

FCPS provides comprehensive benefit programs and services to enhance your personal and professional life. Eligible employees can enroll in many benefit programs immediately upon hire or the first of the month following date of hire.

Eligibility

Employees hired as a benefited full-time or part-time (.5 position or 17.5 hours or more per week) are eligible for medical, vision, dental, life, retirement savings, pension retirement and leave accrual benefits.

You may add eligible dependents to your health and/or dental coverage. An eligible dependent is defined as follows: 1)  eligible employee’s legal married spouse;  2)  children from birth through the end of the month in which they attain the age of twenty six (26) including biological children, adopted children or children placed for adoption, stepchildren, legal ward children and disabled dependent children over the age of twenty-six (26).  For disabled dependent children over the age of 26, proof of disability must be provided using the medical carrier’s form and proof of financial responsibility must be provided by submitting a current, signed, tax form listing the child as a claimed dependent (income information may be redacted).   Financial dependent updates for disabled dependent children over the age of 26 will be requested each year.    

In cases of divorce, it is the responsibility of the employee and the spouse to notify FCPS within 30 days of the divorce. A lack of notification may constitute fraud as an employee attests to the eligibility status of the dependent when they enroll in benefits.  A court order to cover an ex-spouse does not override FCPS eligibility requirements; ex-spouse will be removed from dependent coverage; an offer of COBRA will be made.

When Coverage Begins & Ends

Medical and dental coverage is effective the 1st of the month following your hire date. You must enroll or waive coverage through Employee Self Service within 30 days of your hire date. The next opportunity to make a change in coverage will be during open enrollment which occurs each year in May.  Changes you make during open enrollment in May, are effective July 1, the start of the new plan year. If you have a qualifying life event, such as a marriage, birth of a child, divorce or other life changes, you may make a change to your benefits outside of open enrollment. An enrollment form and documentation must be received within 30 days of the qualifying life event.

Life insurance, leave accruals, and pension eligibility/contributions, are effective the day you are hired.

Medical, dental, and life coverage will terminate the last day of the month in which you terminate employment with FCPS.   Your leave accrual will terminate upon the date of your resignation or termination.

Termination of your pension retirement is dependent upon the date of your resignation or termination and will either end the 16th or the 1st of the following month.

Exceptions

  • If your employment terminates on the 1st of the month, your coverage will terminate on the 1st of the month.
  • For 10-month employees who are not returning for the next school year, the school term ends in June. This means your coverage will end on June 30th even if you do not give your resignation notice until July or August as you have not paid insurance premiums for July or August.   
  • If you terminate employment and were employed before 07/01/05 (benefitted) at the end of the FY of 07/01/05, the termination date for medical, dental and life is extended one month for 10 & 11 month employees only.

You will be offered COBRA to continue coverage for Medical or Dental if you had coverage for these benefits at the time your employment ends. You may review the tab for COBRA for more information on this topic.

Contacts

Have a question about a benefit or a program?  We are here to help. Feel free to contact us.