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Human Resources
Benefits
If you are interested in employment with the State Department of Education, you are probably interested in what benefits are offered to State Employees. Below are some of the benefits that our employees may enjoy. Note: these are not the same benefits available to the unclassified employees of the Special School Districts.
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Pay
Our employees are paid in accordance with Louisiana State Department of Civil Service rules and schedules, or in the case of the Special School Districts, in accordance with BESE approved salary schedules. Salaries are competitive with the private sector and are reviewed frequently to ensure they remain competitive.
Employees are eligible for a 4% annual merit increase after six months of continuous state service and every year thereafter until they reach the maximum of the pay schedule. These increases are not automatic but are based on the employee’s job performance.
Employees are paid bi-weekly.
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Promotional Opportunities
Once an employee has gained permanent status with the State, chances for advancement are fairly good. The State employees over 65,000 classified state employees. Hard work, dedication, good job performance and good attendance are a few of the qualities looked for when making promotional decisions.
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Paid Holidays
There are eight state holidays each year:
New Year’s Day
Mardi Gras
Good Friday
Labor Day
Independence Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
Veterans' Day
The Governor may proclaim additional holidays during the year. These may include:
Martin Luther King’s Birthday
Memorial Day
Acadiana Day (day after Thanksgiving)
And Others
National Election Day is a paid state holiday every two years. Inauguration Day is a state holiday for employees in the Baton Rouge area every four years.
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Leave
Permanent employees earn sick and annual leave, which can be accumulated and saved for future use. The rates go up based on years of state service, as follows:
Employees with less than 3 years of state service earn 12 days per year
3 to 5 years.......15 days
5 to 10 years.....18 days
10 to 15 years...21 days
15 or more........24 days
These rates apply to the earning of both sick and annual leave.
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Health Insurance
State employees may choose from available health insurance programs for coverage. The State pays 75% of the cost of the employee’s coverage; the employee is responsible for the other 25% and the cost of dependent coverage. Information about the available plans can be found on the Office of Group Benefits website.
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Retirement
The Department of Education is a Louisiana State Employees Retirement agency.
The employee’s required contribution to LASERS is currently 7.5% of the gross salary. In addition, the State is currently contributing 15.8% to your retirement fund. Employees may retire from state service as follows:
After 30 years of service ….. at any age
After 25 years of service ….. at age 55
After 10 years of service ….. at age 60
Employees who are already vested in another retirement system (e.g., Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana) when they come to work for the Department of Education may be able to remain in their previous system. Such employees need to bring this to the attention of the Human Resources Office to discuss what options may be available to them.
Additional information can be found by reviewing the Louisiana State Employees Retirement System website, or the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana website.
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Other Benefits
There are other benefits of being a state employee. Some of these include:
· Access to the state-funded Comprehensive Public Training Program
· Eligibility to join the Louisiana Capitol Federal Credit Union
· Optional group life insurance with state contributing to your payment
· Membership to the State Library of Louisiana
· Eligibility to join the Louisiana Deferred Compensation Plan (457 retirement plan)
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