Benefits and Compensation Guide
This is to be used as a reference for employees and fiscally sponsored project (FSP) leadership teams to better understand the benefits programs available at CS&S, billing and compensation procedures and further details regarding CS&S policies. Where applicable, information will be differentiated as it applies to US and internationally-based employees.
General Information
CS&S uses an "employer of record" to handle employment & benefits. For US-based employees we work with TriNet, for international employees (and contractors on a case-by-case basis) we work with Remote.
Payroll
US: Employees are paid on a semi-monthly basis (on the 15th and last day of the month).
International: Employees are paid monthly (on the last day of the month).
Paid Time Off
US: Full-time employees are granted unlimited time off for vacation and sick leave. While employees do not need to track vacation time, sick leave dates must be reported to CS&S in compliance with state leave protections. Employees do not accrue time-off, and the company will not compensate unused leave. This policy works alongside established leaves like Parental Leave or other leave that an employee may be entitled to. Vacation leave is separate from paid leave, such as parental leave.
International: PTO varies from country to country, but international employees should expect a minimum of 20 days per year. Vacation and sick leave are reported through Remote, and unused leave may be compensated where applicable.
Health Insurance
US: We offer medical, dental and vision plans, along with Health Advocate resources provided by TriNet, to all full-time employees. The specific healthcare plans and costs depend on the employee’s location. CS&S coverage for the 2024 plan year is $990-1,370 per month of the employee’s health insurance premium ($915 for employee-only medical or $1,295 for spouse, child or family coverage, $65 for employee-only dental and $10 for employee-only vision). If the premiums exceed CS&S’s coverage maximums, the employee pays the remaining balance. Employees who opt out of health insurance receive $360 per month for a medical waiver allowance.
International: Benefits vary.
Retirement
US: CS&S provides a 401k program through Empower, via TriNet, and matches up to 4% of employee’s salary contributions. Employees must be at least 21 years of age to participate.
International: Benefits vary.
Life insurance
US: CS&S provides a $50,000 basic plan.
International: Benefits vary.
Other Benefits
US: The following opt-in benefits are available through TriNet: Childcare, commuter benefits, Health Flex Savings Accounts, supplemental life insurance, AD&D, short and long term disability insurance, accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity plans through Aflac, and auto and home insurance, pet insurance, and legal plans through MetLife. The employee pays the cost of these premiums.
International: Benefits vary.
Eligibility
US: Employees are benefits-eligible on the date of hire (DOH), there is no waiting period. Full time (minimum of 30hrs per week, or 20hrs per week in Hawaii) employees are eligible for all of the abovementioned benefits.
Employees working fewer than 30 hours per week are eligible to enroll in the 401k and 401k match, as well as commuter benefits and the employer assistance program (EAP) available to all CS&S employees enrolled in TriNet. Part-time employees are not eligible for health benefits, including MetLife Legal, disability, and any voluntary coverages such as Aflac.
International: Employees are benefits-eligible on the DOH, though waiting periods may apply for coverage that is extended to family members.
International Benefits Support
As benefits details vary widely from US plans, FSPs may request benefits details by specifying the employee’s country of residence in an email to fsp at codeforsociety.org.
Frequently Asked Questions for Project Leaders
What is the vesting or waiting period for employee benefits?
For US employees, there is no vesting period or waiting period, all benefits are effective immediately from the date of hire.
How do I know what benefit plans are available to myself and/or new team members?
We are happy to provide you with location-specific benefits details for employees. Please email a request with the zipcode/country for each prospective employee to fsp at codeforsociety.org. Note that benefits requests can take up to 3 business days to process.
What is the payment schedule and amount for my team member’s benefits?
While we recommend estimating benefits for US-based employees at 25% of salaries (with greater variance for international employees) for project budgets, you will be billed the actual costs (pending your team members’ benefits selections) with each pay period. Projects will see these charges on their monthly statement. Please note that our accounting reconciliation period is approximately 30-45 days (for example, on August 15th, projects can expect to see their charges posted through June).
Are FSPs allowed to offer additional benefits to their staff?
CS&S is required to offer consistent and nondiscriminatory benefits to all employees, regardless of project affiliation. FSPs who find company-wide benefits programs to be insufficient may consider adjusting their employee pay rate.
How do FSP team members pay for work-related expenses?
FSPs cannot offer stipends of any kind. Instead, project leaders, and all employees hired via TriNet or Remote, are eligible for a company credit card and reimbursements through our spend management platform, as detailed in CS&S's Expense and Credit Card Policies. Though not required, FSPs may also choose to adopt CS&S’s Home Office Equipment and Technology Policy. FSP program managers can assist project leaders in discussing their CS&S policy adoption options further.
What happens when we need to hire new employees?
Whether or not we are assisting with your job search, our requirement is that we have access to the records of your hiring process. We also require all job postings to meet minimum requirements, such as a transparent salary range, as required by laws in jurisdictions we operate in.
CS&S can provide the following assistance to projects for recruitment and hiring: set up a database to manage incoming applications; a hiring guide with suggested processes, templates, and best practices to improve recruitment efforts; promotion of job ads to our network; visa sponsorship on a case-by-case basis. CS&S can help determine if project staffing needs are best met via employment or contractor arrangements.
What happens when we hire a new contractor?
Per US restrictions, there are certain countries in which we are not able to hire contractors.
If you’re planning to hire a contractor, please share their country location, a description of the work they’ll be doing, and the anticipated length of the contract. For multi year contracts, the contractor may need a business license to mitigate risk; short term contracts typically have a shorter onboarding process.
FAQ For Employees
CS&S values the importance of all forms of time off for our employees. In addition to our unlimited PTO policy, we provide qualified employees with paid leave as mandated by city, state or federal laws. For employees not qualified for a leave of absence by law, we make efforts to accommodate pregnancy disability leave of absence requests and other accommodations on a case-by-case basis, in conjunction with medical documentation. Additionally, we strive to support employees with families in taking time off for the care of newborn or newly adopted/placed children. As such, CS&S will provide all new parents up to six (6) weeks of family bonding leave, which can be taken within one (1) year of birth or placement of a new child. An eligible parent is one who has satisfied at least six (6) months of employment with the company. For birthing parents, family bonding leave follows the period of pregnancy disability leave.
To note for Project Leaders: Consistent with company-wide wage and benefits policies, costs described as covered by CS&S refer to your project’s budget.
The Company observes a specified number of holidays per year, currently 16 days, where team members can expect CS&S to be closed for business. However, as we grant unlimited time off, people are not required to take specific holidays and may elect to observe other days appropriate to their community.
All full and part time employees and their dependents based in the US are eligible for the following EAP benefits at no cost: 3 counseling sessions per incident/per year, unlimited work-life consultations and referrals for childcare, eldercare, dependent care, adoptions, scholarships, pre-retirement and educational resources, access to a health and wellbeing website that can be personalized to meet the employee’s specific needs, and access to free monthly webinars.
All full and part time employees based in the US are able to cover commuter expenses such as buses, trains, ferries, subways, vanpools and parking tax-free. Employees can order a HealthEquity debit card to use wherever they pay for parking or transit. Employees can also choose to have passes or smart cards mailed directly to their homes each month, or select prepay options through the HealthEquity portal via TriNet. For details and restrictions, contact TriNet at 800-638-0461.
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