Benefits

The City of Charleston is proud to offer a competitive benefits package to supplement our employees' total compensation package. Unless otherwise stated, these benefits are provided only to regular full-time employees. Some of these benefits include:

  • Group Health Insurance - The City offers a comprehensive health insurance plan with generous employer contributions. Employees are eligible on the first day of the month following their date of hire. Discounted non-tobacco user premiums are also available.
  • Group Dental Insurance - The City's dental plan helps lay the foundation for a lifetime of good dental habits. It is a traditional plan that gives enrollees the freedom to see any dentist.
  • Vision Insurance – Vision care rounds out your health care benefits. Vision exams are covered at 100% annually, after a $10 copayment. The plan pays a fixed amount for either glasses or contacts within a year.
  • Flexible Spending Accounts - Employees have the benefit of saving monies for dependent care and/or medical care at an amount designated by the employee each year. These savings are deducted from the employees' pay prior to the calculation of taxes which results in additional savings for the employee.
  • Paid Holidays - Outlined below
  • Basic Life Insurance - Basic Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment is provided automatically at no cost to the employee.
  • Optional Deferred Compensation Plan - An Employee, if they so choose, may also make tax-deferred contributions to this plan in order to provide themselves with additional retirement income.
  • Optional Life Insurance Plan  - Employees may purchase supplemental term life policies and also add benefits for their spouse and dependent children. 
  • Short-Term Disability - Short Term Disability is paid at 100% by the City. 
  • Long-Term Disability - Long-Term Disability is paid at 100% by the City.
  • Paid Sick Leave - Employees accrue sick time which provides for potential illnesses. (Part-time employees accrue this benefit based upon a pro-rated basis on the number of hours worked each pay period.)
  • Retirement Plan - The City is a member of the South Carolina Retirement System. All regular full-time and part-time employees are required to join the South Carolina Retirement System upon the first day of employment.
  • Tuition Reimbursement - To help employees continue their education, Part-Time and Full-Time employees are eligible after one year of service.
  • Vacation Leave - Based on the employee's years of service. (Part-time employees accrue this benefit based upon a pro-rated basis on the number of hours worked each pay period.)
  • Wellness Programs - The City of Charleston has implemented an intensive wellness program to assist employees in maintaining healthy, active lifestyles. These include gym reimbursement, fitness and exercise classes, smoking cessation programs, and much more!

Observed Holidays

The City of Charleston observes ten regular holidays plus regular full-time employees are eligible for one personal holiday. Regular full-time and regular part-time employees are eligible for holiday pay for the following holidays:

HolidayDate
New Year's DayJanuary 1st
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday3rd Monday in January
President's Day3rd Monday in February
Memorial DayLast Monday in May
JuneteenthJune 19th
Independence Day
July 4th
Labor Day
1st Monday in September
Veterans Day
November 11th
Thanksgiving Day
4th Thursday in November
Day After Thanksgiving
Day following Thanksgiving
Christmas Day
December 25th
Personal Holiday (Full-time Only)
Approved day of employee's choice


NOTE: If a scheduled holiday falls on a Saturday, then that holiday will be observed on the preceding Friday. If a scheduled holiday falls on a Sunday, then that holiday will be observed on the following Monday. All benefits offered are subject to eligibility restrictions and requirements. The City reserves the right to change the benefits package at its sole discretion.