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Benefits Information for New Hires

Welcome to the City of Cambridge! We're delighted to have you join our community. On this page, you will find comprehensive information on City of Cambridge insurance plans, including enrollment documents, additional plan benefits, and waiver options.

As part of your total compensation package, the City of Cambridge offers a wide range of benefits designed to support your health, well-being, and financial security. These include paid time off, retirement pension, health insurance, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, subsidized MBTA passes, flexible spending, deferred compensation plans, tuition reimbursement, and more.

Eligibility

Regular full-time employees and part-time employees in positions budgeted for at least 20 hours per week are eligible for benefits.

We understand that benefits can sometimes feel overwhelming, but you're never alone. Our team is here to guide you every step of the way. Please don't hesitate to reach out via email at benefits@cambridgema.gov or by phone at 617-349-1770. We look forward to assisting you and helping you make the most of your benefits!

Enrollment Information

Enrolling in Benefits

After reviewing the benefits webpage for all plan information and rates, new hires must complete the Benefits Checklist to request their enrollment forms. The Benefits Checklist walks you through the available benefit options. The Benefits Checklist walks you through the available benefit options and points you to the appropriate enrollment request forms which will be emailed to you for electronic completion, signature, and submission.

Enrollment Deadlines

As a new hire you have a unique opportunity to enroll in all benefits within 30 days of your start date of employment. Be sure to review your benefits options and complete all enrollment paperwork within your first 30 days, after which enrollment changes will only be possible with a qualifying event or during open enrollment for health insurance and flexible spending. Note that some benefits, like life insurance, may only be enrolled in guaranteed issue at your time of hire or during infrequently offered special enrollment periods.

Generous Paid Time Off

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Regular full-time employees, or part-time employees in a position budgeted at 20 hours per week or more, are eligible for paid time off.*

Non-Union Vacation Allowance
- New hires will be eligible for 3 weeks of annual vacation after one year of service.
- New hires will receive 1.5 weeks of vacation after six months of service and 1.25 days for each month of service thereafter until the subsequent January 1, when they will be credited with three weeks of vacation time.
Non-Union Personal Days Allowance
- Regular full-time employees, or part-time employees in a position budgeted at 20 hours per week or more, will receive after 6 months of service, 3 personal days during each calendar year.
Non-Union Sick Days Allowance
- Regular full-time or part-time employees in a position budgeted at 20 hours per week or more after 3 months will receive 3.75 days. After that, 1.25 days per month until the first of the year for 15 days.

Union Vacation, Sick, and Personal Day Allowance
- For information regarding paid time off for union positions, please review the Union Contracts associated with the position you are applying for.

* The City provides non-union, non-benefitted intermittent and temporary employees, 1 hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Employees may not use earned sick time until they have completed 3 months of service. Exceptions to this policy include youth employed in a city, state or federally funded program during the summer or as part of a school to work seasonal/part time program; work-study programs; trainees who are given a stipend or wage as part of a job training program; individual employees whose employment is intended to provide a benefit or subsidy; and retirees of the City who work under GL Chap 32, Sec. 91. For more information, please view the Employee Manual.

Paid Holidays

The city provides paid Holiday leave without a waiting period. Seasonal, temporary, and emergency employees are not eligible for paid holiday leave. For information regarding paid holidays for union positions, please review the Union Contracts associated with the position you are applying for.

Holidays for Non-Union Employees

New Year's Holiday
Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday
Presidents' Day
Patriots' Day
Memorial Day
Juneteenth
Independence Day
Labor Day
Indigenous Peoples Day
Veterans' Day
Thanksgiving Day
Day After Thanksgiving
Day Before Christmas
Christmas Holiday

Health Insurance or Waiver

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Employees can enroll in, cancel, or make changes to health insurance coverage during Open Enrollment in February each year, or anytime a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) occurs. If you are making a change due to a QLE, it will require documentation and must be made within 30 days of the effective date of that event.

Newly hired employees should review plan options and submit benefit elections within 30 days of your start date. Elections submitted after this deadline will fall outside the new hire eligibility window and cannot be processed. Please view specific information in New Hires section.

Learn More About Health Insurance Offerings

Dental & Vision Insurance

A mature adult Black man lies in a dentist's chair as his dentist prepares to clean his teeth during a routine appointment.

Employees are required to enroll in our combined Dental Insurance and Vision Reimbursement plan through the Cambridge Public Employees Dental and Vision Fund (CDVF). This mandatory plan provides dental coverage administered by Delta Dental and vision coverage administered directly by the Fund at a premium of $8.00 a week for both individual and family plans.

Note: Employees covered by Teamsters Local 25 collective bargaining agreements (with the exception of Public Works Supervisors) receive comprehensive dental and vision coverage through TeamstersCare. Information on plan coverage is available on the TeamstersCare website or by calling 617-241-9220.

Learn More About Dental & Vision Insurance Offerings

Life and Long-Term Disability Insurance

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The City of Cambridge, in partnership with Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company, offers employees access to Group Basic, Voluntary Term Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance.

We also offer Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage to non-union and Teamsters union employees. These benefits are designed to provide flexible, affordable protection tailored to individual needs—supporting the financial well-being of our valued workforce.

Learn More About Life and Long-Term Disability Insurance Offerings

Deferred Compensation

A cluttered office desk with a notebook on which a person has written and underlined '457(b) Plan' in black marker

The City of Cambridge provides access to 457B Deferred Compensation Plans which allow employees to invest a portion of their wages through payroll deductions on a pre-tax and post-tax basis. There are currently three vendor plans for new enrollments, through Empower, MetLife, and VOYA.

Learn More About Deferred Compensation Offerings

Flexible Spending Account

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Current employees have the option of enrolling in, updating, or cancelling their flexible spending elections during fall Open Enrollment or with a Qualifying Life event. New hires are eligible to enroll without a qualifying life event in the first 30 days of employment. A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) allows you to set aside pre-tax dollars for eligible health care and dependent care expenses, reducing your taxable income!

Learn More About Flexible Spending Accounts

Tuition Assistance

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The City sponsors a limited tuition assistance program for full-time employees and those working in regular positions budgeted at 20 hours per week or more.

This program may be different or not available to some unionized employees. For information regarding tuition reimbursement for union positions, please review the collective bargaining agreements or contact the Benefits Office at benefits@cambridgema.gov.

Learn More and Apply for Tuition Assistance

Subsidized Transportation

An MBTA red line train runs down surface tracks under a bright blue sky

Regular full-time and part-time employees in positions budgeted for at least 20 hours per week are eligible for the following transportation benefits:

MBTA transit pass partial subsidy; 75% up to $300 for non-union employees
- The MBTA pass subsidy may be different or not available to some unionized employees. For information regarding the subsidy offered for your union, please review the collective bargaining agreements associated with the position you are applying for or contact the Human Resources Department at humanresources@cambridgema.gov.
FREE Blue Bikes Membership
Access to the EZRide Shuttle Service for free. The shuttle connects Boston’s North Station and Cambridgeport via Kendall Square, serving North Point, Community College, Lechmere, East Cambridge, and MIT.
The City has limited carpool spots available for City employees who share a ride into work every day during the work week.

Employee Assistance Program

The City of Cambridge Human Resources (HR) Benefits Team has partnered with AllOne Health to provide you and your family with a refreshed Employee Assistance Program (EAP). This free, confidential resource is designed to support your mental, emotional, financial, and everyday needs. The EAP also offers comprehensive supervisor support and training.

Learn More About Our Employee Assistance Program