“Confidential” shall mean employees in positions so designated by the Human Resources Director consistent with the Employer-Employee Relations Policy. This Resolution does not apply to Court or Extra Help employees, including Limited-Term, except as otherwise set forth in the Master Salary Resolution.

2.1. The coverage shall be that established by the Board of Supervisors and the Board of Retirement for employees under the County Employees’ Retirement Law of 1937, the California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 and the Social Security Act. Coverage by the Retirement System is described by plan brochures which are available at the San Mateo County Employees’ Retirement Association (“SamCERA”). 

2.2. Employees Hired before August 7, 2011

Effective March 13, 2005, the County implemented the 2%@55.5 retirement enhancement (Government Code Section 31676.14) for employees in Plans 1, 2 or 4.

The enhancement applies to all future service and all service back to the date of employment pursuant to the Board of Supervisors’ authority under Government Code section 31678.2(a). Government Code section 31678.2(b) authorizes the collection, from employees, of all or part of the contributions by a member or employer or both, that would have been required if section 31676.14 had been in effect during the time period specified in the resolution adopting section 31676.14, and that the time period specified in the resolution will be all future and past general service back to the date of employment. Based upon this understanding and agreement, employees will share in the cost of the 31676.14 enhancement through increased retirement contributions by way of payroll deductions and shall contribute 3% of compensation earnable as defined in SamCERA regulations.

Plan 3:  Non-contributory plan, Plan 3 is closed to all employees hired on or after December 23, 2012.  If an employee is already in Plan 3, the employee has the option to transfer to Plan 2 or 4 after providing the equivalent of five years of consecutive service (10,400 hours) to the County.  These employees may elect to transfer by entering into an agreement with the San Mateo County Employees’ Retirement Association (SamCERA) to pay all of the incremental employee and employer contributions that would have been required if the employee had been in Plan 2 or Plan 4 since the date of employment, plus interest.

2.3. Employees hired Between August 7, 2011 and December 31, 2012

The retirement benefit options shall be:

Plan 5: 1.725% @ 58 (pre‐enhancement tier) with no 3% cost share. Current Plan 4: 2% @ 55.5 (as described in 2.2 above) is closed to new employees hired on or after the effective date of the commencement of Plan 5. However, employees may transfer into Plan 4 after providing the equivalent of ten years (20,800 hours) of service in Plan 5, and entering into an agreement with the San Mateo County Employees’ Retirement Association to pay all of the employee and employer contributions that would have been required if the employee had been in Plan 4 since the date of employment, plus interest.

Plan 3:  Plan 3 is closed to all employees hired on or after December 23, 2012. If an employee is already in Plan 3 with the option to transfer to Plan 5 after providing the equivalent of five years of service (10,400 hours) to the County that option is for future Plan 5 service only. After providing the equivalent of ten years of service (20,800 hours) to the County, employees may elect to transfer to Plan 4 by entering into an agreement with the San Mateo County Employees’ Retirement Association (SamCERA) to pay all of the incremental employee and employer contributions that would have been required if the employee had been in Plan 4 since the date of employment, plus interest.

2.4. Employees hired on or after January 1, 2013 

Employees hired on or after January 1, 2013 will be placed by SamCERA into Plan 5 or Plan 7  (2%@62) depending upon their eligibility.

Plan 5: Employees who are placed in Plan 5 by SamCERA will only be subject to the applicable provisions of sections 2.1, 2.3 and 2.5.

Plan 7: Employees who are placed in Plan 7 by SamCERA will not be subject any provisions in sections 2.2-2.3 and 2.5. The County will not make any contributions toward the employees’ required contribution to the Retirement System for Plan 7 members.

2.5. Retirement COLA

All employees, regardless of plan or hire date, will pay 50% of the Retirement COLA costs as determined by SamCERA. 

For full-time employees enrolled in County offered health insurance plans,

the County will pay 85% of the total premium for the Kaiser HMO or Kaiser High Deductible Health Plans (employees pay 15% of the total premium) and the County will pay 90% of the total premium for the Aetna HMO Plan (employees pay 10% of the total premium). The County will pay 75% of the total premium for the Aetna PPO Plan (employees pay 25% of the total premium).

Employees who elect a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) will contribute fifteen percent (15%) of the premiums and will receive an amount equal to fifty percent (50%) of the deductible placed into a Health Savings Account over the course of the calendar year. Contributions will occur biweekly.

In an effort to offset the employee cost for healthcare costs, effective the first full pay period in October 2025 until the first pay period in October 2027, the County will contribute $59 per month ($29.50 each for the first 2 pay periods of each month) as a “Premium Only” contribution to each benefit-eligible employee’s Section 125 account to be used for premium expenses.

For employees occupying permanent part-time positions, who work a minimum of forty (40), but less than sixty (60) hours in a biweekly pay period, the County will pay one-half (1/2) of the contribution to hospital and medical care premiums described above for full-time employees.

For employees occupying permanent part-time positions, who work a minimum of sixty (60), but less than eighty (80) hours in a biweekly pay period, or otherwise qualify as a “full time employee” under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the County will pay eighty-five percent (85%) of the County offered group High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) or three-fourths (3/4) of the hospital and medical care premiums described above. For County employees occupying permanent part-time positions who work a minimum of sixty (60), but less than eighty (80) hours in a biweekly pay period who are enrolled in a County-offered High Deductible Health Plan, the County will contribute fifty percent (50%) of the deductible to the employee’s Health Savings Account over the course of the calendar year. Contributions will occur biweekly.

The County shall contribute ninety (90%) of the premium for the County’s dental plans. All employees must participate in one of these plans.

The County shall contribute the full premium for vision coverage. All employees must participate in one of these plans.

The County shall provide fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) life insurance for employees. The coverage includes death benefits for a spouse and children in the amount of two thousand dollars ($2,000).

Employees, depending on pre-qualification, may purchase additional term life insurance to a maximum of seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($750,000) for employee, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for spouse, and ten thousand dollars $10,000 for dependents.

The County shall pay the premium for one hundred and ten thousand dollars ($110,000) coverage.

After three years of service employees are eligible for long-term disability benefits. The benefit is two-thirds of the salary after a waiting period of 120 days, with the maximum benefit being two thousand four hundred dollars ($2400) per month.

Benefits for psychiatric disabilities that result from stress, depression or other life events are restricted to two years, payable per the terms and conditions of the plan.

Effective July 1, 2019, all employees will be enrolled in the deferred compensation program at the rate of one percent (1%) of their pre-tax wages unless they choose to opt out or to voluntarily change deferrals to greater than or less than the default one percent (1%) as allowed in the plan or as allowed by law. The pre-tax deduction will be invested in the target fund associated with the employees’ date of birth. All deferrals are fully vested at the time of deferrals; there will be no waiting periods for vesting rights.

Concurrent with Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) the deferrals will be increased in one percent (1%) increments to a maximum of five percent (5%).

The following will be in effect for those who retire during the term of this resolution:

For employees hired on or prior to April 1, 2008: The County will pay to employees who retire concurrently with separation from County service one month’s health, dental and vision premium for the employee and eligible dependents for each 8 hours of unused sick leave. Employees who separate from County service and enter into deferred retirement or otherwise separate without retiring are not eligible for this benefit.

For employees commencing employment between April 1, 2008 and December 31, 2010: Employees who retire concurrently with separation from County service, for every 8 hours of unused sick leave, the County will pay $700 toward the premium for one month of the retiree health plan and the full cost of one month of the dental and vision coverage. Employees who separate from County service and enter into deferred retirement or otherwise separate without retiring are not eligible for this benefit. For active employees, the County will contribute $100 per month during employment to a post-employment health reimbursement account on a pre-tax basis. This account may only be used to pay for eligible premiums or medical expenses upon retirement or termination.

For employees commencing employment after January 1, 2011: For employees who retire concurrently with separation from County service, for every 8 hours of unused sick leave, the County will pay $400 toward the premium for one month of the retiree health plan. Employees who separate from County service and enter into deferred retirement or otherwise separate without retiring are not eligible for this benefit.

Employees who retire receiving $400 per 8 hours of sick leave, will, upon exhaustion of accrued sick leave, be credited with additional hours of sick leave as follows:

 With at least 10 but less than 15 years of service with the County of San Mateo – 96 hours

 With at least 15 but less than 20 years of service with the County of San Mateo – 192 hours

 With 20 years or more of service with the County of San Mateo – 288 hours

For all employees: On the death of an employee (active or retired), coverage for the spouse and dependents will continue until the sick leave credits have expired. Retirees or surviving spouses may continue the insurance, at their own expense, by premium deductions from their retirement warrants after sick leave credits have expired, in accordance with the rules of the respective carriers.

When employee or spouse reaches age 65 they must, if eligible, enroll in Medicare, which also will be reimbursed by the County if sick leave credits are available.

For employees who receive a disability retirement from County service, the County will provide additional hours of sick leave to the employee’s sick leave balance for a total balance of 288.6 hours of sick leave (three years of retiree health coverage). For example, if an employee who receives a disability retirement has 100 hours of sick leave at the time of retirement, the County will add another 188.6 hours of sick leave credits to their balance.

Employees will be provided twenty-four (24) hours of paid bereavement leave upon the death of the employee’s parent, spouse, domestic partner, child (including through miscarriage or stillbirth), step-child, sibling, sibling-in-law, mother-in-law, fatherin-law, grandparent, grandparent-in-law or grandchildren.

If the position of an employee is abolished and the employee is unable to displace another employee within their department as defined and in accordance with the rules of the Civil Service Commission, the employee shall receive reimbursement as follows:

 one week of pay for each full year (2080 hours) of regular service to the County,

 fifty percent (50%) of the cash value of the employee’s unused sick leave, and,

 the County will continue to pay its share of health premiums for a period not to exceed nine (9) months contingent on the employee continuing to pay their share

 the County will reimburse the employee up to four thousand dollars ($4,000) for tuition or fees in payment for accredited courses or training taken within twelve (12) months of layoff, and taken for the purpose of finding new employment;

provided, however that such employee shall be eligible for this reimbursement only if the employee remains in the service of the County until the services are no longer required by the department head. If the County secures comparable employment for the displaced employee in another department, the employee is not entitled to the severance payment. Employees accepting the payment relinquish the right to have their names placed on reemployment eligible lists.

Regular full-time employees shall be entitled to take all authorized holidays at full pay, not to exceed eight (8) hours for any one (1) day, provided they are in a full pay status on both their regularly scheduled workdays immediately preceding and following the holiday. Part-time employees shall be entitled to holiday pay in proportion to the average percentage of full-time hours worked during the two (2) pay periods immediately preceding the pay period, which includes the holiday. If two or more holidays fall on succeeding or alternate pay periods, then the average full-time hours worked in the two (2) pay periods immediately preceding the first holiday shall be used in determining the holiday pay entitlement for the subsequent holiday.

The holidays for the County are:

1) January 1 (New Year’s Day)

2) Third Monday in January (Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday)

3) Third Monday in February (Washington’s Birthday)

4) March 31 (Cesar Chavez Day)

5) Last Monday in May (Memorial Day)

6) June 19 (Juneteenth)

7) July 4 (Independence Day)

8) First Monday in September (Labor Day)

9) Second Monday in October** (Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day)

10) November 11 (Veterans Day)

11) Fourth Thursday in November (Thanksgiving Day)

12) Friday following Thanksgiving Day

13) December 25 (Christmas)

14) Every day appointed by the President of the United States or the Governor of the State of California to be a day of public mourning, thanksgiving, or holiday. The granting of such holidays shall be discretionary with the Board of Supervisors.

** Effective February 2001, the Lincoln’s Birthday holiday was eliminated and replaced with a floating holiday (8 hours of holiday time) which will accrue on February 12. The floating holiday may be used starting in the first pay period that begins after February 12th.

If the legislature or the Governor appoints a date different from the one shown above for the observance of one of these holidays, then San Mateo County shall observe the holiday on the date appointed by the Legislature or the Governor.

Holiday Falling on a Sunday

If one of the holidays listed above falls on Sunday and the employee is not scheduled to work that day, the holiday will be observed on Monday.

In County facilities where there is 24-hour per day coverage, employees in those facilities shall observe holidays on the actual day of the holiday.

Holiday Falling on Employee’s Regular Day Off

If any of the holidays listed above falls on a day other than Sunday and the employee is not regularly scheduled to work that day, or if an employee is required to work on a holiday, the employee shall be entitled to equivalent straight time off with pay. This equivalent straight time off earned is limited to 120 hours with any time earned in excess of 120 hours cashed out at the equivalent straight time rate. If an employee leaves County service with accrued hours, those hours will be cashed out.

Hours Worked on a Holiday

Employees working on a holiday shall be compensated for such time worked at the rate of one and onehalf (1 ½) times the straight-time rate.

Wellness Days

In addition to the paid holidays listed above, employees shall be entitled to sixteen (16) hours of time off as wellness days or days of reflection (floating holiday) each fiscal year. Employees may use the wellness time off on any day mutually agreed by the employee and their supervisor. Wellness days not used by the end of the fiscal year will be deemed forfeited and have no cash value.

Vacation accruals shall be equal to that negotiated by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

Effective in December 2024, December 2025 and December 2026, the County shall provide three (3) paid winter recess holidays (the equivalent of twenty-four (24) hours for a full-time employee) per year.

For a three (3) day period designated by the County between December 26th and December 31st of 2024, 2025 and 2026, the County agrees to hold a Winter Recess. During the Winter Recess, County departments and divisions may move to minimum staffing levels and/or close business, depending on the needs of the department and the public served. Which departments and divisions will close or go to minimum staffing and which managers will be required to work is entirely within the discretion of the Department Head or their designee.

The determination for closure shall be made by the Department Head and subject to County Executive and Board of Supervisors’ approval.

During the Winter Recess, regular full-time employees in established positions shall be entitled to eight (8) hours of full pay for each day of the three-day Winter Recess, provided they are in a full pay status on both their regularly scheduled workdays immediately preceding and following the holiday. Part-time employees shall be entitled to holiday pay, not to exceed eight (8) hours for any one (1) day, in proportion to the average percentage of hours worked during the two (2) pay periods without holidays immediately preceding the pay period which includes the holiday.

• If any of the Winter Recess days falls on a day the employee is not regularly scheduled to work, or if an employee is required to work on a Winter Recess day, the employee shall be entitled to equivalent straight time off with pay. “Winter Recess” exchange days shall be scheduled in the same manner as vacation, unless the department’s policy is to schedule vacation per a vacation sign up list, in which case these days shall be scheduled in the same manner as a Floating Holiday This equivalent time off is limited to twenty-four (24) hours. No employee will be allowed to have an accumulation of more than forty-eight (48) hours of Winter Recess time to their credit at any one time. If an employee leaves County service with accrued Winter Recess hours, those hours will be cashed out with terminal pay. Employees working on a Winter Recess day shall be compensated in accordance with the provisions of this Resolution.

The salary ranges are set forth in Exhibit A which is attached hereto and made a part hereof. Effective December 8, 2024, there shall be a five percent (5%) cost of living adjustment. Effective October 12, 2025, there shall be a five percent (5%) cost of living adjustment. Effective October 11, 2026, there shall be a four percent (4%) cost of living adjustment.

The October 2026 cost of living adjustment shall be increased by an additional one percent (1%), for a total cost of living adjustment of five percent (5%) under the following circumstances:

1. Not later than October 1, 2026, the State Legislature enacts and the Governor signs legislation to ensure that San Mateo County receives its full Vehicle License Fee Adjustment Amount under Revenue & Taxation Code 97.70, as calculated under the laws in existence as of the date of this MOU, on an ongoing basis (i.e., without any sunset provision), and

2. Neither the VLF bill nor any companion legislation contains any offsets, reductions or limits to other County funding sources (e.g., a reduction in excess or returned Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund amounts).

Effective December 13, 2020, longevity pay shall be:

1. One percent (1%) of base salary after the equivalent of five (5) years of full time County service (10,400 hours).

2. An additional one and one-half percent (1.5%) of base salary (for a total of two- and one-half percent (2.5%)) after the equivalent of ten (10) years of full time County service (20,800 hours)

3. An additional one and one-half percent (1.5%) of base salary (for a total of four percent (4%)) after the equivalent of twenty (20) years of full time County service (41,600 hours)

4. An additional two percent (2%) of base salary (for a total of six percent (6%)) after the equivalent of twenty-five (25) years of full time County service (52,000 hours).

Employees covered by this resolution shall receive a five percent (5%) differential in addition to all other compensation. This is the same differential that is referenced in the Master Salary Resolution.

All Departments

An individual in a confidential classification who is assigned to lead a special project or assignment shall receive a differential of up to 10%, in addition to all other compensation. Assignments must meet criteria for special project as determined and approved by the Human Resources Department and must be for short-term assignments, with end dates and demonstrated alignment to performance and organizational goals. Authorization for such differential must be requested by the department head and is subject to review and approval by the Human Resources Director.

Board of Supervisors

The Office of the Board of Supervisors Districts One, Two and Five may be staffed with three positions. The salary of any individual in any of these three positions may not exceed the top step of the classification plus ten percent provided that the total salaries of the combinations cannot exceed the combined top step salary for two Senior Legislative Aides and one Legislative Aide.

The Office of the Board of Supervisors Districts Three and Four may be staffed with four positions. The salary of any individual in any of these four positions may not exceed the top step of the classification plus ten percent provided that the total salaries of the combinations cannot exceed the combined top step salary for two Senior Legislative Aides and two Legislative Aides.

County Attorney’s Office

A Paralegal – Confidential assigned to perform lead work over other paralegals shall receive a 5.74 percent differential, in addition to all other compensation. Only one employee at a time may be so assigned.

When warranted and in the interest of the County operation, department heads may assign employees to on-call status during off-duty time, to ensure that such employees will be available to respond or return to work to address unplanned, unforeseen, or emergency situations. While on-call, an employee is required to be available by phone at all times. While on call, the employee is not on duty, is not required to remain on County premises. An employee is not required to restrict personal activities while on-call but must remain free of the influence of prescription drugs that adversely affect the employee’s ability to safely and effectively perform their job duties, alcohol, and illegal drugs.

A. On-Call Assignments

1. Regular and Required On-Call Assignments: Each department will designate certain positions required to perform regular and mandatory on-call assignments, for which they earn on-call pay.
2. Voluntary or Ad-Hoc On-Call Assignments: Departments may also designate certain positions eligible to volunteer or provide ad-hoc coverage for on-call assignments.

B. Process for On-Call Assignment

1. Regular and required on-call assignments, and re-assignments as needed due to employee absences, will be assigned on a rotating schedule, and equitably distributed to all employees in such designated positions.
2. For Voluntary on-call assignments, a department may solicit volunteers on a rolling basis, and assignments will be provided on a first come, first serve basis. Individual voluntary on-call assignments may be assigned in the absence of sufficient volunteers.

C. On-Call Compensation shall be equal to that negotiated by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

• A salary differential of Ninety Dollars ($90.00) per pay period for incumbents in positions requiring bilingual proficiency as designated by the appointing authority and certified by Human Resources Director. Said differential shall be prorated for employees working less than full-time or who are in an unpaid leave of absence status for a portion of any given pay period.

SECTION 2. This resolution is effective immediately unless otherwise specified.