DURING THE OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD, employees must make enrollment elections for the upcoming plan year on the City of Richmond self-service portal found through StarNet/My CoR. If any issues with usernames or passwords, contact the Department of Information Technology at 804- 646-6367.
EMPLOYEES HIRED AFTER THE OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD may complete their enrollment choices online, or through a paper form within 30 days of their hire date.
Administered by Cigna
The City of Richmond offers comprehensive medical coverage through Cigna Healthcare, giving employees access to high-quality care and a broad national provider network. For 2025, employees may choose from three medical plan options, including a High Deductible Health Plan with a Health Savings Account (HSA).
All Cigna medical plans:
Provide 100% coverage for eligible preventive care when using in-network providers, including annual wellness visits and recommended screenings
Offer open access to care with no referrals required
Use the same broad Cigna provider network
Include prescription drug coverage
The primary differences between the plans are how much you pay in payroll contributions and how costs are shared when you receive care.
In-Network vs. Out-of-Network Coverage
You may receive care from providers both in and out of the Cigna network. However, in-network services are covered at a higher level, helping you save on out-of-pocket costs. Employees are encouraged to use in-network providers whenever possible and to confirm provider participation before receiving care.
Prescription Drug Coverage
Prescription drug coverage is included with all Cigna medical plans. Medications are covered based on Cigna’s formulary, with lower costs for generic and preferred brand drugs. If you take ongoing or maintenance medications, you may be able to reduce costs by using 90-day mail-order or participating retail pharmacy programs. All prescriptions must be filled at participating pharmacies for coverage to apply.
Marathon Health Clinics
All medical plans include access to Marathon Health Clinics, providing convenient, high-quality care at little to no cost for employees and covered family members. Marathon Health clinics offer:
Primary and preventive care
Sick and urgent care
Behavioral health services
Physical therapy (no referral required)
On-site pharmacy services
Lab services
Virtual care options
With multiple Richmond-area locations and same-day or next-day appointments often available, Marathon Health clinics are designed to make accessing care easier and more affordable. Care received through Marathon Health is confidential and protected by state and federal law.
Administered by Cigna
Cigna will continue to provide your dental benefits in January 2026. There are two dental plan options available to you:
Dental PPO plan (Cigna Total DPPO)
DHMO plan (Dental Care Access Plus plan)
The Cigna Total DPPO plan allows you to use a dentist from Cigna’s DPPO network or to use a provider not in the network. If you use a dentist not in Cigna’s DPPO network, you will generally pay more for services.
The Cigna Dental Care Access Plus plan (DHMO) is similar to a Medical HMO because you must select a dentist who is in the Cigna Dental Care Access Plus network and receive services from that dentist. You will pay fixed copays for any covered dental services provided by a Dental Care Access Plus dentist.
Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance for City Employees
Employees in RRS, VRS Plan 1 & Plan 2, VRS Hybrid less than a year: The City of Richmond has an employer sponsored
short-term disability plan, and long-term disability plan for full-time permanent employees in the Richmond Retirement System, VRS Plans 1 & 2, and those in the VRS Hybrid plan during the year waiting period. This program is administered through The Standard.
The City’s short-term disability insurance plan covers 60% of an employee’s salary, and the long-term disability plan covers 40% of an employee’s salary. Options to purchase additional long-term disability insurance coverage is also available.
Employees in VRS Hybrid more than a year: After a year waiting period, employees in VRS Hybrid will receive short-term and long-term disability insurance through the VRS Virginia Local Disability Program (VLDP), administered by Alight. Employees who have an illness or injury eligible for disability insurance will work directly with Alight for this program.
Filling a Claim: If an employee has an illness or injury that is eligible for short-term disability, the first step is to file a claim.
Please reach out to The Standard at 866-756-8116 to determine if your leave is eligible for the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Long-Term Disability
New hires will have 30 days from date of hire to elect the long-term disability buy-up, with the benefit starting the first of the following month in which they elect.
The long-term disability buy-up premiums will be calculated based on an employee’s salary and rate (which is based on age). Employees can use the chart below to estimate their long-term disability buy-up premium amount. To calculate an estimate of your monthly premium, please use the following calculation:
| Age | Rate | Age | Rate |
| 0-24 | .060 | 40-44 | .250 |
| 25-29 | .080 | 45-59 | .370 |
| 30-34 | .120 | 60-69 | .480 |
| 35-39 | .210 | 70-99+ | .480 |
The City of Richmond offers two flexible spending accounts to employees — a health care account and a dependent care account (to be utilized for childcare services). These accounts allow you to use a portion of your pay, before it is taxed, to pay for or be reimbursed for, certain qualified expenses.
Healthcare Flexible Spending Account:
Any employee who does not participate in Healthcare Plan 1 may elect to participate in the Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
The Health Care Flexible Spending Account may be used for eligible medical expenses incurred by you or your dependents, as long as the expenses are not covered by insurance or any other source.
You may not enroll in the Health Care Flexible Spending Account if you enroll in Plan 1 (High Deductible with HSA). The Health Care Flexible Spending Account is advantageous when you have predictable healthcare expenses, such as routine prescriptions, copays, or glasses/contacts.
You can refer to IRS Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses to identify eligible expenses. This publication can be found at https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/aboutpublication-
502 or by calling 1-800-TAX-FORM. You can
also visit: https://www.healthequity.com/hsa-qme
You may contribute up to $3,400 (2026 projected amount) in the plan year by electing through Aflac.
Dependent Flexible Spending Account:
If you have eligible dependents, you may choose to use the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account and the Federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit when you file your annual tax return. Whatever you contribute to the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account will reduce the amount of available federal tax credit.
You may be eligible to claim a federal income tax credit of eligible dependent care expenses for one or more qualified dependents. The amount of your tax credit depends on the adjusted gross income reported on your federal income tax return.
If you choose to participate in the Dependent Care Spending Account, your contributions will be made through payroll deductions on a pre-tax basis. This means that contributions to this plan will be deducted from your pay before taxes, and are tax-free. This will increase your net take-home pay since your federal, state, and FICA taxes will be reduced.
You must decide whether using the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account or taking the Federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit will provide you with more tax savings. If you are uncertain as to which is best for you, we recommend that you check with a tax advisor before making your final decision.
You can claim dependent care expenses for “qualifying individuals” who include (1) your children under age 13, (2) other relatives, such as a parent, who can be claimed as a dependent on your tax return; or (3) a spouse or other dependent who is physically or mentally incapable of caring for him or herself. These children and relatives must be dependents as defined by the Internal Revenue Code.
Eligible services include:
• Care in your home or someone else’s home
• Childcare or dependent care facilities, including day care centers and nurseries
• Housekeeping services in your home that include daycare
Note: You cannot claim payments for services provided by a dependent or one of your own children under the age of 19.
You can contribute $7,500 for single individuals and married individuals filing jointly, and $3,750 for married individuals filing separately.
You will be automatically enrolled in a Health Savings Account if you enroll in Plan 1 (the High Deductible Health Plan). The HSA consists of a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)-insured deposit account, and the option to
invest the funds through an investment account once the account balance exceeds $1,000.
The City will contribute $750 for employee only coverage, and $1,250 for employee plus dependents. This amount is pro-rated if you enroll in the High Deductible Health Plan during the year.
You can use your HSA to pay for current and future qualified medical expenses — tax-free, for not only yourself, but also for your spouse and any dependents claimed on your taxes, regardless of their coverage.
If you choose to also contribute to your HSA, it is a tax-free deduction. You can maximize your tax savings by contributing up to the maximum annual amount allowed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The 2026 maximum contribution amount allowed (including what the City of Richmond and you contribute) is $4,400 for single coverage and $8,750 for family coverage. If you are 55 or older, you can make an additional catch-up contribution. The maximum annual catch-up contribution is $1,000. Your HSA balance, plus investment earnings, carry
over from year to year — tax-free. State taxes may still apply, so please consult your tax advisor.
Note: Active employees and retirees over age 65 cannot contribute to an HSA during the year, nor will the City make contributions to an HSA account for these individuals.
Preparing for retirement is one of the most important activities you can undertake. All full-time permanent employees with the City of Richmond are eligible for a retirement plan.
The City’s partnership with VRS allows employees to take advantage of the statewide benefits, including a pension component (Defined Benefit) and cost of living adjustments in all plans.
Some Key Retirement Items to Note:
Full-time permanent employees hired after January 1, 2024, are automatically enrolled in VRS.
Employees hired prior to January 1, 2024 , were enrolled in either the Richmond Retirement System (RRS) Defined Benefit (DB) plan or Defined Contribution (DC) plan, if they did not transition to VRS. (Most employees hired prior to July 1, 2006, were enrolled in the RRS DB plan, while those hired or rehired from July 1, 2006, through December 31, 2023, were enrolled in the RRS DC plan).
All employees – whether in RRS or VRS automatically contribute 5% of their pre-tax base pay to their retirement account; the City of Richmond also contributes to both retirement plans for employees.
Employees can view their anticipated Defined Benefit retirement amounts (which includes the City’s contribution) with VRS by visiting https://www.varetire.org/calculators/. For RRS, please call 804-646-5958.
Employees in the VRS Hybrid Plan can voluntarily contribute up to an additional 4% of their pre-tax base bi-weekly pay to a VRS 457 plan with Voya Financial and receive an additional tiered matching contribution from the City (up to 2.5%).
VRS and RRS both require five years of service to be fully vested, meaning an employee can keep all of the funds contributed by the City of Richmond. However, VRS has tiered vesting for some hybrid plan components which allows some funds contributed by the City to be kept before five years. To learn more visit: https://www.varetirement.org/hybrid/plan-info/plan-provisions.html
Regardless of retirement plan, all employees may opt to save even more toward their retirement by opening a City of Richmond ROTH IRA and/or 457 plan through Mission Square.
The 2026 IRS limit to 457 contributions is projected to be $24,500 and the catch-up contribution is projected to be an additional $8,000 if you are 50+. It is your responsibility to ensure your contributions, inclusive of both 457 accounts, does not exceed this annual maximum
Once employed by the City of Richmond, employees will be registered with VRS and Voya Financial (Hybrid plan participants). You will receive in the regular mail a welcome letter with information on how to log on to your account once your enrollment has been processed by Human Resources. Please note that you must log into your account within 45 days, or you will be locked out. In addition, please ensure Human Resources has your correct address on file to ensure you receive this important information from VRS.
VRS contributions are deducted from each paycheck. Employees who transition from the City of Richmond prior to retirement should contact the Human Resources Benefits and Wellness Division at 804-646-4700 and the Virginia Retirement System to discuss options related to closing their City of Richmond VRS account.
For more information on the Virginia Retirement System visit https://www.varetire.org/ or call 888-827-3847.
For more information on Voya Financial, or to contact them visit https://dcp.varetire.org/ or call 877-327-5261.
Active full-time and part-time benefits eligible employees in permanent positions are eligible for vacation time which is accrued in accordance with the City’s bi-weekly pay schedule based on years of service. Part-time employees receive prorated vacation based on the number of hours worked. Employees in provisional/temporary positions do not earn vacation. Additional vacation leave details can be found in the Leave Policy.
| Years of Service | Bi-Weekly Rate | Max. Accumulation |
| Less than 5 | 3.7 | 192 |
| 5 - 10 | 4.6 | 240 |
| 10 - 15 | 5.5 | 288 |
| 15 - 20 | 6.6 | 336 |
| 20 & over | 7.4 | 384 |
Sick Leave
Full-time and part-time benefits eligible employees in permanent positions and provisional/temporary positions receive sick leave. Full-time employees accrue sick leave at the rate of 3.7 hours bi-weekly, with carryover maximums if hired after July 1, 2024.
Part-time employees receive prorated sick leave based on the number of hours worked. Sick leave may be used for personal illness, bodily injury or disease, medical appointments, care for immediate family member illness, and Family Medical Leave (allowed under FMLA). Additional
sick leave details, including for shift employees, can be found in the Leave Policy.
Holidays
At minimum, the City of Richmond designates and observes the eleven (11) federal holidays. Additional holidays are at
the discretion of the Mayor and Chief Administrative Officer, and are updated annually. All holidays, inclusive of the additional City holidays, can be found on StarNet. Additional details can be found in the holiday policy - Administrative Regulation 5.2.
| Holidays | |
| New Year's Day | Independence Day |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. Day | Labor Day |
| President's Day | Indigenous People's Day |
| International Women's Day | Election Day |
| Spring Holiday | Veteran's Day |
| Memorial Day | Thanksgiving Holiday (Wed. - Fri.) |
| Juneteenth Holiday | Winter Holiday (Dec. 24-25) |
Employees are also given mental health/wellness days, paid parental leave, city sponsored health clinic leave, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), bereavement leave and military leave.
Administered by Aflac
This plan pays cash benefits for accidental injuries that occur on or off the job. The benefits are paid directly to you unless
you choose otherwise. The plan is designed to provide you with cash benefits throughout the different stages of care, regardless of the severity of the injury.
| Accident Insurance Bi-Weekly Rates Option 3 | |
| Individual | $15.26 |
| Individual & Spouse | $21.61 |
| 1-Parent Family | $25.91 |
| 2-Parent Family | $32.72 |
Administered by Aflac
This is a limited health insurance plan, which will pay you a lump-sum benefit upon diagnosis of certain primary, specified health events. The primary specified health events
covered by the plan includes: coma, paralysis, end-stage renal disease, persistent vegetative state, stroke, heart attack, major third-degree burn, coronary artery bypass
surgery, major human organ transplant, and sudden cardiac arrest.
| Critical Care Protection Bi-Weekly Rates Level 2 | ||||
| Age | 18-35 | 36-45 | 46-55 | 56-70 |
| Individual | $8.45 | $12.03 | $16.38 | $21.13 |
| Individual + Spouse | $16.25 | $21.13 | $28.47 | $39.65 |
| 1-Parent Family | $14.36 | $17.03 | $21.91 | $28.80 |
| Family | $18.46 | #23.47 | $31.33 | $43.03 |
Administered by Aflac
This plan is designed to supplement your medical benefit program by paying fixed per/day benefits to you if you are in the hospital. It does not constitute comprehensive health insurance coverage. This plan provides hospital confinement indemnity benefits.
| Hospital Choice Bi-Weekly Rates (1500)-Guaranteed Issue | |||
| Age | 18-49 | 50-59 | 60-75 |
| Individual | $18.01 | $18.20 | $19.11 |
| Individual & Spouse | $26.26 | $27.76 | $30.16 |
| 1-Parent Family | $22.36 | $22.62 | $22.88 |
| 2-Parent Family | $26.52 | $28.02 | $30.42 |
Administered by Aflac
Basic Group Term Life Insurance
If you are a full-time, permanent employee, you are automatically covered for an amount of group term life insurance equal to twice your annual salary rounded to the next higher thousand dollars.
Your coverage begins on the first day of employment. In the event of accidental death, your coverage is four times your annual salary rounded to the next higher thousand dollars.
In the event of dismemberment, as defined in the policy, your coverage amount will be equal to your annual salary.
This plan is mandatory, and the City pays a portion of the cost.
Employee deductions of 0.71% of salary are taken from your pay on an after- tax basis on the second pay period of each month to cover your portion of the cost.
The plan is administered by the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) and underwritten by Securian.
Optional Group Term Life Insurance
The optional Group Life Insurance Plan is administered by VRS and underwritten by Securian. If you have Basic Life Insurance coverage with the City of Richmond, you may purchase additional coverage for yourself, spouse, and your eligible children.
Eligible children are under the age of 21 or age 21-25 (verified full-time student).
You may apply for Optional Group Term Life Insurance through the Virginia Retirement System portal, regardless of retirement plan, at any time, not just during open enrollment or a qualified life event. The VRS portal can be visited at https://myvrs.varetire.org/login/. All applications must go through Securian or the VRS portal. Once approved, Human Resources will be alerted by our partners.
You may select from eight options that provide one to eight times your salary up to $975,000. Please find the coverage rate options for employee, spouse and children below.
| OPTION | EMPLOYEE | SPOUSE | CHILD(REN) |
| 1 | 1x Salary | 0.5x Salary | $10,000 |
| 2 | 2x Salary | 1.0x Salary | $10,000 |
| 3 | 3x Salary | 1.5x Salary | $20,000 |
| 4 | 4x Salary | 2.0x Salary | $30,000 |
| 5 | 5x Salary | 2.0x Salary | $30,000 |
| 6 | 6x Salary | 2.0x Salary | $30,000 |
| 7 | 7x Salary | 2.0x Salary | $30,000 |
| 8 | 8x Salary | 2.0x Salary | $30,000 |
Administered by Aflac
This plan provides cash benefits directly to you for the treatment of specific types of cancer, giving you the ability to help pay bills related to treatment such as health plan
deductibles, copayments, and travel expenses.
| Personal Cancer Indemnity Bi-Weekly Rates Level 2 | |
| Individual | $13.45 |
| 1-Parent Family | $16.45 |
| Family | $22.75 |
Administered by Cigna
As an employee you have access to the valuable Cigna Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at no cost to you.
EAP personal advocates will work with you and your household family members to help you resolve issues you
may be facing, connect you with the right mental health professionals, direct you to a variety of helpful resources in your community and more.
Take advantage of a wide range of services offered at no cost to you:
6 face-to-face counseling sessions with a
counselor in your area, as well as video-based sessions.
Legal assistance: 30-minute consultation with an attorney, face-to-face or by phone.*
Financial: 30-minute telephone consultation with a qualified specialist on topics such as debt counseling or planning for retirement.
Parenting: Resources and referrals for childcare providers, before and after school programs, camps, adoption organizations, child development, prenatal care and more.
Eldercare: Resources and referrals for home health agencies, assisted living facilities, social and recreational programs and long-distance caregiving.
Pet care: Resources and referrals for pet sitting, obedience training, veterinarians and pet stores.
Identity theft: 60-minute consultation with a fraud resolution specialist.
Administered by Legal Resources
Protect yourself and your family for only $8.00 a pay period. Legal Resources covers 100%of the attorney fees for fully covered legal services.
Fully Covered Services:
General Advice and Consultation
Family Law
Elder Law
Criminal Matters
Wills and Estate Planning
Traffic Violations
Civil Actions
Preparation and Review of Routine Legal Documents
Real Estate
Consumer Relations and Credit Protection
Identity Theft
Don't see your legal need listed? The Legal Resources Plan covers pre-existing legal matters as well as any less commonly needed legal service at a 25% discount.
Visit LegalResources.com for more information or call Member Services at 800.728.5768.
Enjoy exclusive savings on everyday purchases with the BenefitHub Perk Program. This employee discount platform gives you access to deals from thousands of popular brands across categories like travel, entertainment, restaurants, electronics, and health and wellness. It is easy to use and designed to help you save money on the things you already love every day.
