Benefits
The following are the key benefits for full-time consultants. Since Ferguson also offers the option of working as a billable-hours consultant, we’ll note benefits which those consultants can buy back at our cost.
If this doesn’t answer all your questions, give us a call.
- Health and Dental Insurance
- Life, Disability, and Long-term Care Insurance
- Profit Sharing and 401K Retirement Savings Plan
- Holidays, Vacation, Sick Leave, and Bench Time
- Education Allowance
- Referral Bonus
- Convenience and Tax Savings
- Credit Union
- Cafeteria Plan
- Missouri MO$T Program
- City Earnings Tax
Health and Dental Insurance
Ferguson offers health insurance benefits to Full Time Consultants through Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, specifically the Blue Access Choice POS. Benefits are effective on the first day of the month following the Consultant's employment date.
In-network benefits include a $20 co-payment for primary/preventive care office visits including well-child care and immunizations, and a $40 co-payment for specialist office visits including routine eye exams and mammogram screenings. Inpatient and outpatient hospital services are covered at 100% after meeting a deductible. Out-of-network benefits are available at reduced benefit levels. The plan includes a three-tier prescription drug benefit. The co-payment is $10 for a generic drug, $35 for a brand name drug, and $60 for a non-formulary drug when obtained at a plan pharmacy. A mail-order benefit is offered, enabling participants to order a 3-month supply of a prescription at a cost of 2 months’ co-payments.
Members can check their deductible balance or the status of claims, search for providers, research health topics, and request ID cards online at www.anthem.com.
Dental Insurance
Dental insurance is provided via two options through The Guardian. Benefits are effective on the first of the month following 30 days of employment. The DentalGuard Preferred PPO covers 100% of preventive services, 80% of basic services, and 50% of major services and child orthodontia. No deductible applies for preventive services or child orthodontia; a $50 out-of-network deductible applies for basic and major services. Coverage increases to 90% and 60%, respectively, for basic and major services if performed by an In-Network dentist. The maximum benefit per person per year is $1,000. The child orthodontia lifetime maximum is $1,000.
The First Commonwealth DHMO enables employees to name a dentist in the DHMO network and receive services only from that dentist. Each office visit requires a $5 co-pay, deductibles are eliminated, and there is no annual maximum per person. Adult orthodontia is also covered to a maximum of $1,000. The employee pays for services based on the DHMO’s discounted schedule of charges based on the type of service received.
Ferguson provides health and dental insurance for $43.00 per bi-weekly pay period for Full Time Consultants. Both employee and spouse can be covered for $135.00 per pay period, as can single employees with dependent children. Family health and dental coverage is available for $195.00 per pay period. Payroll deductions are taken on a pre-tax basis through our Section 125 plan. Billable Hours Consultants can buy back health and dental coverage at Ferguson’s cost. If you’re interested, please let your recruiter know.
Life, Disability, and Long-term Care Insurance
Ferguson provides full-time consultants with life insurance coverage equal to annual salary, up to a maximum of $100,000 through its group life plan. This coverage is guaranteed-issue, which means that no medical questions will be asked. Ferguson also provides the first $10,000 of transferable term life insurance for full-time consultants through a voluntary life policy. This plan enables consultants to purchase additional coverage at group rates that can be payroll deducted.
Ferguson provides both short-term and long-term disability protection for all full-time consultants. And Ferguson provides full-time consultants with a base level of long-term care insurance, which would pay up to $2,000 tax-free per month for up to three years. Consultants can purchase additional coverage through payroll deduction. A consultant can also enroll a spouse, parents, grandparents, and the spouse’s parents and grandparents and have them billed directly at Ferguson’s low group rates. Billable-hours consultants can buy back life, disability, and long-term care coverage at cost.
Profit Sharing and 401K Retirement Savings Plan
Ferguson provides a real profit sharing plan that rewards full-time consultants who contribute to the bottom line of the company. Qualifying consultants who are between 94% and 100% billable for the plan year receive a full share of the profit sharing pool. Consultants who are over 100% billable will receive that percentage of a full share with no upper limit.
Ferguson offers a Retirement Savings Plan (401K) for both full-time and billable-hours consultants. The plan allows the consultant to defer pre-tax dollars into a variety of investment options after meeting a 90-day waiting period. Ferguson will match $.55 on each dollar contributed by the consultant, up to 6% of his or her salary. Consultants are eligible for matching benefits as soon as they begin making contributions. Consultants are 20% vested in their matching contributions after two years of service, then another 20% per year until fully vested.
Holidays, Vacation, Sick Leave, and Bench Time
Ferguson provides 80 hours of paid holiday time to any full-time consultant employed on January 1 of a given year. In addition to six fixed holidays, one optional holiday is accrued per quarter.
Ferguson provides 80 hours of paid vacation for full-time consultants employed as of January 1 in a given year. Full-time consultants with 10 years of service will receive an additional 40 hours of vacation, and billable-hours consultants reaching the 10-year mark will receive 40 hours of paid vacation. Vacation and holiday time are accrued as the year progresses, except when a consultant is not actively working. Disability leave, bench time, and leave taken under the Family and Medical Leave Act are examples of such inactivity. Consultants can choose reimbursement for unused vacation or carry hours into the following year.
Everyone gets sick, and consultants are no exception. Full-time consultants will always be paid for sick leave. It has been our experience that successful consultants make up sick time whenever possible. Ferguson has experienced very little bench time, but we will provide full pay to full-time consultants for idle time between assignments. The duration of any bench time will be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on market conditions.
Training Allowance
Ferguson offers a training allowance benefit to all full-time consultants. For billable-hours employees, the cost of training is built into the rate we pay you, and it is your responsibility to use that money to keep your skills current. We’ll provide up to $2,000 per calendar year for any technical training expense that improves a consultant’s skill set and marketability. The training allowance covers items such as books, courses, computer-based training software and other training materials. The training allowance is accrued on a monthly basis.
In addition to formal training courses, you’ll have the opportunity to take part in frequent roundtable discussions about issues relevant to your skill sets and IT solutions you can use on your job.
Referral Bonus
Ferguson offers an incentive to all consultants who refer other IT professionals. If such an individual is hired and remains with the firm for six months, the consultant who made the referral is awarded a bonus.
Convenience and Tax Savings
Direct deposit. Ferguson offers direct deposit to all Consultants. Consultants are paid every two weeks on Friday morning, for a total of 26 pay periods per year.
Credit Union
All consultants can become members of the Electro Savings Credit Union. Electro Savings offers a variety of services, such as direct deposit, low-cost VISA cards, checking accounts, low-cost loans, savings accounts, ATM cards and other services.
Cafeteria Plan
A tax-saving benefit offered to all Ferguson consultants is its Section 125 or “cafeteria plan.” This plan currently allows pre-tax deductions of a consultant’s contribution towards health insurance. It also allows pre-tax deferral of a consultant’s wages of up to $5,000 per year for dependent care. The plan also includes a medical flexible spending plan, allowing employees to set aside up to $2,400 annually to pay for unreimbursed medical expenses.
Missouri MO$T Program
Contributions to the Missouri Saving for Tuition Program can be made through payroll deduction. This program, an IRS Section 529 Plan, provides a tax-advantaged vehicle for saving for higher education expenses. Up to $8,000 per year can be contributed, deductible from Missouri Taxable Income in the year contributed and free from both Federal and Missouri Income Tax when withdrawn.
City Earnings Tax
For all consultants who live outside the St. Louis City limits and are placed at a downtown client site, Ferguson will cover the 1% City Earnings Tax.
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