2026-2027 Benefits Guide

All FWE leave must be approved by the employee’s supervisor prior to the leave being taken, and documentation supporting the qualifying reason for the leave must be provided to the supervisor. Acceptable documentation may include appointment confirmations, provider notes, event notices, or other relevant materials. Leave must be used in one-hour increments, does not roll over year to year, and is forfeited upon separation. It cannot be used in conjunction with personal or disability leave. Requests should be submitted electronically through the Time and Attendance system with as much advance notice as possible, ideally at least seven calendar days. Temporary employees and interns are not eligible. Family and Medical Leave and Parental Leave Benefit The EAA offers paid parental leave as part of the FMLA entitlement for eligible employees following the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child, regardless of marital status or sexual orientation. Temporary employees are not eligible. The number of paid parental leave hours granted per calendar year is based on the employee’s budgeted workweek as shown on the table. Employees are not required to exhaust accrued leave to participate in the paid parental leave program. Parental leave must be taken within the applicable FMLA period and may not be used intermittently or on a reduced schedule unless approved by both the Division Head and Human Resources. RETIREMENT Texas County & District Retirement Systems (TCDRS) All EAA employees are automatically enrolled with Texas County & District Retirement System (TCDRS). Participation into this program is mandatory and employees may not choose to opt out. TCDRS is a savings-based plan. Members save for their own retirement over the length of their careers. Benefits are based on the final employee savings balance and employer matching. 7% of each employee’s paycheck is deposited into their TCDRS account on a biweekly basis. Employees may not contribute additional funds to this account. The employee’s savings grow at an annual, compounded rate of 7%. Once an employee retires, he or she receives a benefit payment for life that is based on his or her final account balance and employer matching. Employer matching is 180% at retirement. Vesting Awarded Hours 40 hours 480 hours 30-39 hours 360 hours 20-29 hours 240 hours Less than 20 hours N/A

TCDRS RETIREMENT ELIGIBLITY

Vesting with TCDRS means the employee has the right to a lifetime monthly benefit that will include employer matching at retirement. Vesting with TCDRS is at 8 years of service. Other ways to earn service time If you have previously served in the Military or USERRA; or

Age

Service

60

With 8 Years; or With 20 Years; or

Any Age

Rule of 75

Your age plus your years of service equals 75

contributed to a proportionate retirement program such as: ERS (State of Texas), JRS (Courts), TRS (Schools), TMRS (Select Cities), or COA (City of Austin) – your service time is counted towards retirement eligibility. If you have more than one TCDRS account, please contact TCDRS Member Services by calling 800-823-7782. Military Service Time You may be able to receive service time for time served in the U.S. Military before you became a TCDRS member and count that service time toward your retirement eligibility. Employees may receive up to 60 months (five years) of credit for prior active military service through TCDRS, provided certain eligibility requirements are met. To qualify, your military discharge must have been under honorable conditions, you must be vested (8 years of service), and you must not have previously received military service credit through another Texas public retirement system. You

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