Assistance

Payroll and Leave

• What is a longevity bonus award?
• If I am laid off and separate from County service, Will I still be eligible for a pro-rated longevity bonus award as part of my final payout.
• What is a merit increase?
• What is flex pay?
• What is premium pay?
• When can I expect to receive my final paycheck?
• If I have annual or holiday leave time accrued, will I be paid for those hours?
• I am enrolled in Florida Retirement Systems’ DROP program, will the balance of my accrued annual leave be paid?
• If I have sick leave time accrued, will I be paid for those hours?
• If I have a floating or birthday holiday available, will that be paid out?
• What address or phone number should I give to future employers who wish to verify my employment?
• Will I be eligible to apply for Miami-Dade County Employees only Job Openings?
• If I were to be employed by the county in the future, will I receive credit for previous time served
• Can employees use their Floating Holiday and/or Birthday Holiday during these ten additional working days?
• Although employees may have enough leave to cover the ten additional working days, can they choose to go without pay during this time and elect to get
• Who can I contact if I have any additional questions?

What is a longevity bonus award?

A longevity bonus award is an annual lump sum bonus for employees with 15 or more years of County service.

If I am laid off and separate from County service, Will I still be eligible for a pro-rated longevity bonus award as part of my final payout.

You will be eligible for the pro-rated amount you would have received up until the effective date of suspension of the longevity bonus awards for your bargaining unit

What is a merit increase?

A merit increase is an increase in base pay, within the salary range for an employee's classification, for meritorious service. These increases are generally granted at the time of an employee's annual performance review.

 

What is flex pay?

The County provides $38.46 in biweekly Flex Dollars for all County employees eligible for group health insurance.

The County provides an additional $5.00 in biweekly Flex Dollars to employees enrolled in AvMed High Option HMO or JMH High Option HMO.

The County provides an additional $10.00 in biweekly Flex Dollars to employees enrolled in the AvMed Low Option HMO or JMH Low Option HMO.

What is premium pay?

This is a $50 biweekly supplement, which was extended effective September 2005 to full time, non-executive employees to maintain parity, as is customary with across-the-board wage adjustments.  Employees in the Police and Fire unions are not eligible for this pay.

When can I expect to receive my final paycheck?

If your termination date falls within the pay period as defined in the pay schedule , you should receive your final pay check on the associated pay day. All final payments are not direct deposited, but are “live” checks.

If I have annual or holiday leave time accrued, will I be paid for those hours?

Employees who have completed 13 creditable pay periods will be paid for unused accrued annual and holiday leave at the time of separation. Payment will be made at the rate of pay at the time of separation excluding night differential and any monies owed to Miami-Dade County.

I am enrolled in Florida Retirement Systems’ DROP program, will the balance of my accrued annual leave be paid?

If you are a participant in the Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) and have already been paid out 500 hours of Annual leave, you are not eligible to be paid out any additional Annual leave hours as per the Miami-Dade Leave Manual. Any remaining leave must be used or it will be lost.

If you are a participant in DROP and have not been paid out any or part of your Annual leave, you will be eligible to be paid out up to a maximum of 500 hours as per the Miami-Dade Leave Manual.

If I have sick leave time accrued, will I be paid for those hours?

Employees will be paid for unused sick leave up to a maximum of 1,000 at the employee's current rate of pay at the time of separation excluding night shift differentials, in accordance with the following schedule:

Full time Continuous County Service Required	Percentage Payout
Less than 10 years	No payment
10 years but less than 11 years	25% payment
11 years but less than 12 years	30% payment
12 years but less than 13 years	35% payment
13 years but less than 14 years	40% payment
14 years but less than 15 years	45% payment
15 years but less than 16 years	50% payment
16 years but less than 17 years	55% payment
17 years but less than 18 years	60% payment
18 years but less than 19 years	65% payment
19 years but less than 20 years	70% payment
20 years but less than 21 years	75% payment
21 years but less than 22 years	77.5% payment
22 years but less than 23 years	80% payment
23 years but less than 24 years	82.5% payment
24 years but less than 25 years	85% payment
25 years but less than 26 years	87.5% payment
26 years but less than 27 years	90% payment
27 years but less than 28 years	92.5% payment
28 years but less than 29 years	95% payment
29 years but less than 30 years	97.5% payment
30 years or more	100% payment

Except as otherwise provided for in a collective bargaining agreement, all payments described above are based on years of continuous County service with the exception of 30 years or more, and have a maximum payout of 1,000 hours of accumulated sick leave. Employees with 30 or more years of County service will have their entire sick leave balance paid out at termination even if the accrued time is more than 1,000 hours.

Special risk employees who retire after 20 years of full-time continuous county service are subject to the following schedule:

21 years but less than 22 years	80% payment
22 years but less than 23 years	85% payment
23 years but less than 24 years	90% payment
24 years but less than 25 years	95% payment
25 years or more	100% payment

All payments described above for special risk employees are based on years of continuous County service with a maximum of 1,000 hours of accumulated sick leave with the exception of 25 years or more.

In accordance with the provisions contained in applicable collective bargaining agreements, special risk sworn law enforcement bargaining unit employees and special risk fire fighter bargaining unit employees, who retire after 25 years of full-time County employment will be eligible to receive 100% payment of their full balances of accrued, unused sick leave. Such payment will be made at the employee's rate of pay at the time of retirement, excluding any shift differential, and will not be subject to any maximum number of hours.

Non-bargaining unit Special Risk employees and those employees who occupy exempt executive Group 1, 2 and 3 level County positions who retire after 25 years or more of full-time continuous County employment will be eligible to receive 100% payment of their full balance of accrued unused sick leave. Such payment will be made at the employee's current rate of pay at the time of retirement, excluding any shift differential, and will not be subject to any maximum number of hours.

If I have a floating or birthday holiday available, will that be paid out?

Neither floating nor birthday holidays are paid out at the time of separation. If it is available, it is advisable to use these holidays prior to your date of separation.

What address or phone number should I give to future employers who wish to verify my employment?

The Records Management Unit of Human Resources will be able to provide employment verification. Their contact information is as follows:

111 NW 1 ST SUITE 2010
MIAMI FL  33128
Telephone: 305-375-2222

Will I be eligible to apply for Miami-Dade County Employees only Job Openings?

In the event that an employee separates from County service due to a layoff, he/she will be eligible to apply for county only recruitments for the next two years

If I were to be employed by the county in the future, will I receive credit for previous time served

No. Former employees who have been laid off and subsequently rehired in a different job classification (one to which they have no recall rights) will not be eligible to receive seniority credit for the service prior to layoff, even though they may be on layoff recall lists. If, however, they are recalled from a recall list, even after reemployment in a different class, they will receive seniority credit for the service time prior to layoff.

Can employees use their Floating Holiday and/or Birthday Holiday during these ten additional working days?

The employees may use Floating, Holiday, Birthday, Compensatory (if eligible)  or Annual leave during the ten days.  We want to help the employees remain in pay status.  Sick leave, on the other hand, may only be used for illness or related FMLA occurrences as set forth in the County Leave Manual.

Although employees may have enough leave to cover the ten additional working days, can they choose to go without pay during this time and elect to get

In regard to  lump sum payouts, the County does not pay out Floating or Birthday holidays, therefore this time should be used.  There is no benefit for the employee to go without pay rather than  using other accrued leave however the department director can approve these requests on a case by case basis  and approve if deemed necessary. 

Who can I contact if I have any additional questions?

Please contact your Department Personnel Representative (DPR)  if you have any questions.

Back to Top Page Last Edited: Wed Oct 5, 2011 9:54:31 AM