All documents on this page are in pdf format.  If you do not have Adobe Acrobat click here to download the free software (a new window will open).

What a Career With Arlington Offers

Arlington is committed to a workplace where individuals are valued, and where mutual respect and concern, self-worth, participation, financial and emotional rewards, and courtesy and sensitivity are acknowledged, encouraged and supported.

Arlington provides a healthy and happy work environment for its staff in many ways. County jobs can offer unparalleled benefits, both tangible and intangible. Department of Human Services employee Chris Green (Automated Services Bureau Chief) is quoted in THE DC EXAMINER "What I tell candidates is that public work provides visibility and the opportunity for real influence." Read the full article here .

Bike to Work

The County encourages employees to practice healthy lifestyles and to assist in improving our local community's environment through reduction of traffic congestion and pollution. Employees who use a non-motorized means of transportation (ex: walk or bicycle) for their entire work commute more than 50% of their workdays are eligible for a taxable incentive. The net amount of the subsidy is $35 per month from the County, prorated for part-time employees.

Child Care

If you have children Arlington is dedicated to providing a family-friendly environment. Flexible hours, telecommuting and 4-day work weeks are possible in many positions. The Arlington Children’s Center – with two locations and available to County employees at a discount - provides each child with loving care in a safe and healthy environment. The program emphasizes free play and structured learning experiences to foster a child's emotional, physical, social, creative and intellectual development. The Center features a unique environment designed for comfort and safety that includes an outside play area, classrooms with play centers and an infant care center. <top>

College Savings Plan

The County sponsors the CollegeAmerica College Savings Plan that allows employees to save for college expenses through a tax advantaged account. the investment fund loads are also waived for this program. <top>

Credit Union

County employees are eligible for membership with the Arlington Virginia Federal Credit Union which offers a variety of financial services at competitive rates. <top>

Fitness and Sports Centers

Arlington employees are eligible to use County sports and fitness centers, and swimming pools at 50 percent of the citizen rate. Employees and members of their household are eligible to participate in the programs and services offered by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Resources at the citizen rate. This includes class programs, summer camps and much more. <top>

Flexible Spending Account

Flexible Spending Accounts are a way for you to set aside money from your paycheck on a pre-tax basis to cover such costs as: items not covered by your health or dental insurance (ex: co-payments, coinsurance, laser eye surgery), dependent care expenses, and parking expenses related to your work commute. In the Medical/Dental Spending Account, you may set aside up to $5000 per year on a pre-tax basis to pay for medical or dental expenses that your health or dental insurance plan does not cover. In the Dependent Care Spending Account, you may set aside up to $5000 per year on a pre-tax basis to pay for dependent care expenses. <top>

Health Insurance

Arlington offers a broad range of health coverage at really great rates.  Click here for the latest rates.  Click here for an outline of all benefits.

CIGNA HMO, CIGNA POS (Point of Service) and Kaiser Permanente are the three health plans offered.

Dental Plan

In addition to the limited dental coverage included with the health plans, the County offers an indemnity dental plan, Delta Premier, through Delta Dental. Although this plan does have a network of providers, you may use any licensed dentist for your dental care. The dental plan pays 100% of reasonable and customary fees for your Preventative and Diagnostic services (e.g. teeth cleanings and x-rays), 80% for Basic Services (e.g. fillings) and 50% for Major Services (e.g. dentures). There is an annual calendar year deductible of $55 for individual coverage and $110 annual deductible for family coverage on Basic and Major Services. The plan also covers Orthodontia work at 50% of reasonable and customary charges for children under age 19 up to $1250 per person lifetime maximum.  Click here for an outline of the plan.

HealthSmart

Health Smart, the Arlington County Employee Wellness program, was created in 1994. The Health Smart program is managed with a mind-body-spirit philosophy. The program focuses on physical, mental and spiritual health. Events and classes are offered across the spectrum of employee health and wellness issues. Classroom topics and events include walking meetings, seated massage sessions, Weight Watchers, special employee exercise opportunities, guidelines for health food at meetings and conferences.

The most recent wellness activity was Local Motion , an exciting wellness initiative offering all employees the chance to get moving, get healthy and win great prizes along the way ... including a four-day, three-night vacation to one of 75 resorts throughout the U.S.!

How Local Motion works:

• Employees form teams of 5-7 individuals and commit to active participation.
• The $40 investment fee (which can be paid via payroll deduction) gets participants a welcome kit stuffed with gifts to help them achieve their personal fitness goals, including a pedometer, water bottle, lanyard, weekly incentive gifts, e-mail newsletters, advice from a registered nurse and fitness experts and more!
• Program officials will track participant progress through biometric measurements before and after the program including height & weight, hydration, blood pressure, pulse and cardio/fitness measures.
• During the program, participants progress though a self-paced health & fitness program, tracking their weekly physical activity and water intake, supported by health experts, coaches and your teammates.

At the end, teams and individuals achieving the greatest results will win prizes, and all participants will benefit from feeling and looking better! <top>

Housing Grants

Live Where You Work Grants: Support from Arlington as an employer travels home with it’s employees. The County offers grants to permanent employees working more than 30 hours per week in order to assist with the costs associated with purchasing or renting a primary residence in Arlington County. These grants are used for the purpose of defraying the costs of purchasing or renting a primary residence in Arlington County i.e. closing costs, inspections, appraisals. Deposits, etc.  (This program is suspended for FY10.)

The Homestride Program: This is available to employees of Arlington County, Arlington Schools, George Mason University and Virginia Hospital Center. Homestride provides $20,000 to assist with the down payment and closing costs and must be used in conjunction with any VHDA first trust mortgage. Click here for more details. <top>

Leave

An Arlington employee has access to the following types of leave: Vacation, Sick, Holiday, Parental and Newborn, Family Medical, Military, Education, Civil and Jury Duty, and Disability. <top>

Life Insurance

As an eligible employee, the County provides you with one times your annual salary, up to a $50,000 maximum, in free life insurance. We also offer you the option to purchase one-half, one, or two times your annual salary in supplemental life insurance. If you elect the supplemental life insurance, you will have an after-tax payroll deduction on the first paycheck of the month for the monthly cost of the supplemental insurance. <top>

Long Term Care Insurance

The County offers long term care insurance to permanent and limited term full and part time employees working 10 hours or more per week, spouses of eligible employees, retirees, spouses of retirees, surviving spouses, parents and parents-in-law of the eligible employee. You may enroll anytime; however, if you enroll within 90 days of your initial eligibility, you are guaranteed coverage. The insurance is offered through Aetna Life Insurance Company. Long term care insurance is designed to help pay expenses associated with custodial care that are not covered by your health insurance. Examples of these expenses are for nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and home health care. Click here for premiums (18 kb PDF format ). <top>

Mass Transit Subsidy

For those who use mass transit, the County will subsidize up to 80% of your commuting costs up to $75 per paycheck, for a maximum benefit of $60 per paycheck. You may use the subsidy for Metrorail, Metrobus, and other local transit such as vanpools, MARC, VRE, OmniRide, Ride-On, and the DASH bus. For those using Metrorail, we issue the monthly benefit onto a SmarTrip Card. For all other forms of mass transit we issue Metrocheks or Metrobus passes on a bi-weekly basis. <top>

Retirement

The employee contribution to the Defined Benefit Component of the Arlington County Retirement System is 4% for non-Public Safety employees and 7.5% for Public Safety employees.  Employees become vested in this program at 5 years of service. The County also contributes a generous amount to this plan that may be received in the form of an annuity upon retirement. The retirement plan includes provisions for service connected disability or death before retirement.

The County contributes 4.2% of an individual's pay annually to a Defined Contribution Component of the Arlington County Retirement System (401(a) plan) for non-Public Safety employees. This is an employee directed investment account. Participants are vested 20% per year and fully vested in the plan after 5 years. Employees may contribute additional money on a post-tax basis.

Under the County's Deferred Compensation Plan (457 plan) each year employees can allocate up to 100% of salary (up to a maximum of $15,500 in 2007, indexed each year) for investment in a tax deferred retirement savings account. The County matches up to $20 per pay period for this account. The $20 match is put in the (401) defined contribution plan each pay. Employees do not pay federal or state tax on monies deferred until time of disbursement. <top>

Tuition Reimbursement (This benefit has been suspended for FY10.)

The Tuition Reimbursement Program reimburses permanent employees the cost of tuition fees up to a maximum set by the County Manager ($1,600 in fiscal year 2008). The amount reimbursable is pro-rated for part-time employees. Employees must apply for this benefit prior to taking the class by completing the Course Approval Application. Tuition Reimbursement request are process on a first-come-first-served basis within available funds.

To be eligible for reimbursement, the employee must be a permanent full or part-time employee, complete the course at an accredited college, university, community adult education center, or the United States Department of Agriculture Graduate School, earn a grade of "C" or higher, a certificate, or a "pass" in a pass/fail class and submit all required paperwork as specified by the program guidelines. <top>