Working for Oakland
The City offers generous benefits and the opportunity to build a better city for Oaklanders.
Watch Our Video
Services
Resources
About
You can find a summary of benefits here. Read our 2025-Benefits-Matrix(PDF, 207KB) for more details about employee benefits.
Medical Coverage
The City offers medical coverage through CalPERS (California Public Employees Retirement Systems). The City provides benefit eligible employees and their eligible dependents the choice of several medical plans. The monthly employee cost varies based on the medical plan and an employee's employment status (full-time, sworn, permanent part-time). For more information on medical plans and employee monthly cost, review the Employee Benefit Guide.
Health Care Enrollment
New full-time, sworn and permanent part-time employees may enroll themselves and their eligible dependents into City benefit plans. Learn more about specific Benefit Plans by reviewing the Employee Benefits Guide.
Remember:
- Coverage is not automatic: an employee must submit enrollment forms to the City of Oakland Benefits Unit within their 60 day enrollment window.
- Coverage begins on the first of the month following the receipt of documents.
- If an employee does not enroll coverage within 60 days, the request will be subject to a 90 day waiting period per CalPERS guidelines.
- Employees can change their health plans during the annual open enrollment each fall. Changes made during open enrollment become effective January 1st of the following year.
Medical Waiver Premium
Employees who waive medical benefits may enroll in the Medical Waiver Premium Plan and receive cash-in-lieu. Employees should refer to their union MOU for eligibility and monthly cash-in-lieu amounts. Proof of other medical coverage, the Employee Benefits Record from, and Medical Waiver Premium enrollment form are required to participate in the plan.
Dependents
An employee's dependents may be eligible for coverage under the City's health plans.
Eligible dependents include a spouse; a registered domestic partner; dependent children under age 26 for medical benefits; and dependent children under age 19 OR verified full-time students age 19 - 25 for dental and vision benefits.
To add an eligible dependent, you must provide the dependent eligibility verification document(s) listed on the Dependent Eligibility Verification Documents(PDF, 130KB)
list.
Dental Plans
The City offers two dental plans for non-sworn full-time employees, permanent part-time employees and their eligible dependents.
- The DeltaCare HMO dental plan allows for set co-pay amounts for services with no deductibles, and no annual maximums. Participants must select a primary care dentist in the DeltaCare USA network for coverage.
- The Delta Dental PPO plan gives participants access to a larger network of dentists and provides flexibility to see in-network and out-of-network dentists. Out of pocket costs are usually lower when visiting an in-network dentist. The plan covers a percentage of costs for services and has an annual deductible.
Both plans are administered by Delta Dental.
Sworn police and fire personnel: dental coverage is provided through your respective unions.
Vision Care
The City offers vision coverage for non-sworn full-time employees, permanent part-time employees and their eligible dependents. Coverage is offered through Vision Service Plan.
Continuing Your Benefits
Under COBRA, an employee and enrolled dependents may pay to continue medical, dental or vision coverage for a limited period of time if city-paid coverage ceases for reasons recognized under COBRA regulations.
The cost for COBRA coverage equals the monthly cost of coverage plus a 2% administrative fee.
Retirement
Full-time and permanent part-time employees of the City of Oakland are required to participate in the Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS).
General retirement benefit information are available for:
What happens to my PERS benefits if I leave the City?
Portions of your retirement benefits are portable: upon separation from City service, funds may be rolled over into a qualified Individual Retirement Account (IRA). If you leave the City to work for another jurisdiction that also participates in CalPERS, your retirement benefit will continue.
Have questions? Current and former City employees interested in learning more about their retirement benefits may contact CalPERS directly at (888) 225-7377 or visit the CalPERS website at www.calpers.ca.gov. Alternatively, current and former employees may contact the City of Oakland's Retirement Office at (510) 238-6479, weekdays from 8:30am - 5:00pm.
Deferred Compensation
Full-Time, Sworn, and Permanent Part-Time employees may participate in the voluntary Deferred Compensation Plan, a 457(b) retirement plan. Pre-tax deferred compensation contributions reduce an employee’s current taxable income while providing the opportunity to accumulate retirement savings. The plan also has an after-tax Roth contribution option.
An employee can contribute a minimum of $10 per pay period up to the maximum allowed by Federal regulations for the calendar year. A number of investment options are available.
Life Insurance
The life insurance plan provides another important source of financial security for non-sworn full-time and permanent part-time employees.
Benefit amount: In the event of an employee's death, the beneficiary will receive an amount equal to the employee's current annual salary rounded up to the nearest $1,000, up to a maximum of $200,000. (For example, if the annual salary is $35,500, the life insurance benefit would be $36,000). The benefit amount is pro-rated for permanent part-time employees.
The City pays the full premium cost for Basic Life Insurance coverage. There is no employee contribution.
Employees may purchase supplemental employee, spouse, and child life insurance. Supplemental life insurance is paid by the employee through monthly payroll deductions.
Disability
The City provides disability benefits to non-sworn full-time employees. Employees who are covered by bargaining unit SEIU Local 1021 and IBEW Local 1245 who experience a non-work-related illness or injury are eligible to apply for State Disability Insurance. This insurance is provided through the State of California's Employment Development Department.
Employees who are covered by bargaining units IFPE Local 21, CMEA, and unrepresented employees are short-term disability and long-term disability benefits.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
The City of Oakland offers flexible spending accounts (FSA), allowing you to set aside pre-tax dollars from your paycheck to pay for eligible health care or dependent care expenses. This provides you immediate tax relief.
The programs are subject to IRS regulations. Please visit the Navia Benefits Solutions' website, the third-party administrator, for more information about the plans at https://www.naviabenefits.com/ or refer to the Employee Benefits Guide.
Medical Care Assistance Program (MCAP) allows an employee to pay for out-of-pocket medical, dental and vision care expenses with pre-tax dollars. Common eligible expenses include co-pays, deductibles, prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, dental work, orthodontia, glasses, chiropractic, and acupuncture. Click here for a detailed list.
Annual maximum allowance: $3,300
How it works:
- Estimate your annual out-of-pocket health care expenses. Your annual election amount will be deducted evenly from your bi-weekly paycheck
- Your annual election amount will be evenly deducted from your paycheck on a pre-tax basis throughout the plan year.
The Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP) allows an employee to pay for dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars. The care must be for a qualifying dependent so that you, or both you and your spouse together, can work. Common eligible expenses include childcare, before and after school care, preschool, and day camps.
Annual maximum allowance: $5,000 per household., $2,500 if married and filing separately.
How it works:
- Estimate your annual dependent care costs.
- Your annual election amount will be evenly deducted from your paycheck on a pre-tax basis throughout the plan year.
Accessing your benefits
- Navia Benefits Card - Participants receive a Navia Benefits debit MasterCard. The Navia Benefits debit MasterCard can be used to pay the provider directly for qualified health care or daycare expenses.
- Submit A Claim - Participants can submit claims to the Navia Benefits Solutions for reimbursement. Claims can be submitted online or through the MyNavia mobile app.
At the end of the plan year participants have a special 2 1/2-month grace period to incur eligible expenses.
Commuter Benefit Program
The Commuter Benefit Program allows you to pay for your work-related parking and mass transit expenses using pre-tax dollars. The program encourages ridership on buses, trains and ferries while lowering taxable earnings.
- Register on the third party administrator's website.
- Place an order for your monthly transit and parking needs (an administrative fee may be assessed based on MOU).
- You can purchase transit agency passes or tickets. You can also receive a Navia Benefits Card to purchase services at any transit or parking facility that accepts MasterCard.
- For more information, visit the Navia Benefits Solutions, our third party administrator, website at https://www.naviabenefits.com/.