Benefits
The Village of Park Forest offers a broad range of competitive benefits to full-time employees and their dependents including comprehensive healthcare coverage and a defined-benefit pension plan. A summary of the benefits offered is detailed below.
Health Insurance
The Village provides basic medical and hospitalization coverage as well as vision and dental coverage under various plans/programs selected by the Village. The Village contributes to the premium costs for such insurance based on the coverage selected by the employee.
Life Insurance
Employees are eligible for life insurance equal to their annual salary, up to a maximum of $50,000.
Vacation
Vacation eligibility and rates of accrual are based on the employees length of service and shift assignment. New employees are entitled to five (5) shifts off if they are assigned to 24-hour shifts and ten (10) shifts off if they are assigned to a 50-hour work week schedule.
Sick Leave
24-hour shift employees earn 6 days (144 hours) per year and 50-hour shift employees earn 12 days (120 hours) per year.
Holidays
Holiday pay for each of the 12 holidays (New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve) recognized by the Village is incorporated into the annual salary. Those employees who actually work on each of the recognized holidays receive an additional 12 hours of straight-pay for working the holiday. Those employees assigned to the 50-hour schedule will receive holidays off.
Kelly Days
A Kelly Day is a scheduled work reduction day. 24-hour shift employees receive a Kelly Day every 11th duty shift.
Clothing Allowance
On July 1 of each year, all employees receive a $500.00 uniform allowance credit for reimbursable uniform expenses. Approved purchases made by the employee will be paid for/reimbursed from this account. Any remaining balance as of May 30 each year will result in a taxable payment rendered to the employee through payroll on the first pay check in June.
Retirement
All full-time members of the Department must be members of the Illinois Downstate Firefighters Pension Fund. For more information on Pension benefits, please refer to the Pension page.
457 Deferred Compensation Plan
The Village offers an optional tax advantaged 457 Deferred Compensation Plan through ICMA.
Flexible Benefits Plan - IRS 125
This optional benefit plan allows participants to pay for qualifying medical and dependent care expenses using pre-tax dollars.
Employee Assistance Program
The Village offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to afford employees counseling and referral services. The EAP provider, Employee Resource Systems, provides confidential services to employees and their families to aid in coping with difficulties that may arise both at work and home. The goal of the program is to help our employees achieve better emotional and physical well being through professional and confidential counseling services.