Benefits & Insurance Information

Eligible employees can enroll themselves and eligible family members in medical, dental, vision and Flexible Spending Account benefits. Enrollment or changes must take place within 30 days of an employees' first day of scheduled work, later than 30 days after a qualifying event, or during Open Enrollment in October.

• 2022 Health Benefits Guide
  • SFUSD health/ medical benefits are offered via the San Francisco Health Service System (HSS).
  • If you are a new employee or have a qualifying event and would like to change your plan, please submit a ticket through Zendesk at eis.sfusd.edu.

How do I enroll or make changes to my health and vision benefits?
Did you know that you can enroll your health benefits with HSS directly via their eBenefits self-service platform?  If you were recently hired or have experienced a qualifying event within 30-days, you can enroll/make changed online by by visiting SFHSS's eBenefits website.
Please note: You will need your City ID (commonly known as your DSW number) to use eBenefits self-service.  If you are a first-time user of the online platform, please follow the instructions in the "First time registration for Retirees, City College and SFUSD" link to obtain your CityID and register an account.  If you have trouble registering or obtaining your City ID, please contact HSS directly at 628-652-4700.

Do I need to speak with a District benefits analyst to enroll-in or change my health and vision benefit elections?
HSS staff are available Mon - Fri, from 8a - 5p to assist with your enrollment inquiries.  You can call HSS at 628-652-4700 during office hours for health and vision plan details, enrollment instructions and more.

Why am I unable to enroll my health and vision benefits in EMPowerSF?
HSS administers the health and vision benefit for all City and County of San Francisco Departments, including SFUSD.  Because HSS is the system of record for your health/vision plan, you are required to enroll via their eBenefits self-service platform.  After you submit your online enrollment to HSS, if it is processed and approved, you will be able to view your enrollment election on your benefits confirmation statement in EMPowerSF.  It can take 1-2 pay periods for the information to be viewable in EMPowerSF.

Can I enroll my dental plan with HSS as well?
Dental enrollment is administered by the District; you can enroll your dental in EMPowerSF if you were recently hired or experienced a qualifying event within 30-days.

How do I enroll/make changes to my dental plan?
You can enroll or make changes to your dental plan via EMPowerSF.  Please review the EMPowerSF Employee Self Service Guide for enrollment instructions and more!

I enrolled my dependents on my HSS health/vision benefit, why can't I see their information in EMPowerSF?
The HSS enrollment system does not feed dependent information into EMPowerSF.  If you enrolled dependents on your health and vision plans, you will not be able to view their dependent information in our system.  If you plan on enrolling those same dependents on your dental plan, for example, you will need to add their dependent data in EMPowerSF when enrolling.  Detailed instructions on adding dependents and beneficiaries can be found in the EMPowerSF Employee Self Service Guide.

How do I enroll in a Medical, Dependent Care or Commuter Flexible Spending Account?
At present, you may enroll via www.wageworks.com if you were hired or experienced a qualifying event within 30-days.  In the future, you will be able to enroll in EMPowerSF, however this feature is not yet available.

Are you experiencing stress due to financial, health, or family concerns? SFUSD's Employee Assistance Program can help! Access resources and free and confidential counseling.

View your benefit options in an online format. Your options will be presented with information on each vendor website, who to contact, and the best way to learn more.

While the district and HSS offer great health, dental and FSA benefits, our vendor partners can provide additional support for our employees.  

Expectant parents might want to connect with one of our vendors to learn about Short-term disability policies that can provide additional financial support while on leave.  Or open a life insurance policy without required medical-review to cover your family in the case of unexpected accidents!

Are you a new teacher or a seasoned expert thinking about your financial future?  Take a look at the retirement savings and investment opportunities that our financial partners offer!

We've compiled contact info for our vendor partners below, feel free to reach out to them to learn more about how they can support you!

Please note: The district does not administer these products and plans, you will need to connect with vendors directly.

Retirement

• Defined Contributions Plans
  • CalSTRS (California State Teachers' Retirement System)
  • SFERS (San Francisco Employees' Retirement System)
• Supplemental Retirement Options
  • Go to www.403bcompare.com. Click on My Employer and choose San Francisco Unified School District to get started. Contact the vendor of your choice to open an account.
  • For more information regarding 403b and 457 Plans, contact Cherise Grigsby at Grigsbyc@sfusd.edu.
• Learn more about retirement from SFUSD.

Sick Leave for All

• The Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014 (Labor Code §§ 245-249) provides paid sick leave for eligible employees who currently do not have a sick leave entitlement.
• Effective July 1, 2015, eligible employees are entitled to up to three (3) paid sick days or 24 hours in a 12-month period, for the diagnosis, care or treatment of a health condition, or for preventative care for an employee or an employee’s family member.
• For information about the procedures for notification, reporting and approval of paid sick leave reference the Guidelines For Reporting Sick Leave For All.

If you have a question, please submit a ticket through Zendesk at eis.sfusd.edu.