City of Gardner, Kansas

Fri, July 25, 2008

Home : City Government : Human Resources : Benefits

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Benefits

HEALTH AND DENTAL INSURANCE

All of the City's health and dental benefits are provided through MARCIT. Gardner currently offers a choice between three medical plans. Two are MARCIT PPO plans administered by Benefit Management, Inc. and one is the Humana HMO administered by Humana. Dental insurance coverage is provided by Delta Dental of Missouri. Benefits and premiums vary significantly between the plans.

Employees are eligible for coverage the first day of the month coinciding with or immediately following their employment date. If they waive coverage at this time, they will again be eligible for coverage only:

During open enrollment for an effective date of July 1 of each year
They lose their current coverage due to a qualifying event.

The City pays $292.00 towards individual coverage, $626.00 towards employee plus spouse or children coverage, and $678.00 towards family coverage. Employee premium costs for the various plans are as follows:

Plan

Individual

Employee Plus

Family

Plan A

$122.00 per month

($61.00 semi-monthly)

$368.00 per month

($184.00 semi-monthly)

$399.00 per month

($199.50 semi-monthly)

Plan B

$50.00 per month

($25.00 semi-monthly)

$196.00 per month

($98.00 semi-monthly)

$212.00 per month

($106.00 semi-monthly)

Humana HMO

$15.00 per month

($7.50 semi-monthly)

$110.00 per month

($55.00 semi-monthly)

$120.00 per month

($60.00 semi-monthly)

Dental

$31.00 per month

($15.50 semi-monthly)

$79.00 per month

($39.50 semi-monthly)

All premiums are deducted pre-taxes as provided by federal law.

FLEXIBLE SPENDING PLAN

The Flexible Spending Plan includes the medical account which allows employees to make pre-tax deductions for qualified unreimbursed medical and dental costs and the dependent care account which allows employees to make pre-tax deductions for qualified dependent care costs. The City pay 100% of the administrative costs. Employees choose their payroll deduction up to a maximum of $5,000 per year for unreimbursed medical expenses and $5,000 per year for dependent care expenses.

RETIREMENT

The City's retirement benefits are provided through the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS).

KPERS is a mandatory retirement plan administered by the State of Kansas. All employees working in covered positions EXCEPT those employees working as commissioned Public Safety Officers, including individuals in all other full-time and regular part-time positions of the City who meet the KPERS membership requirements, are required to participate. Participation begins on the first day of the pay period coinciding with or following completion of one year of employment.

KPERS is a defined benefit pension plan. Monthly retirement benefit is based on final average salary and years of service. Vesting time for retirement is 10 years. Normal retirement age is 65.

Employees contribute 4% of their gross salary and the City contributes a percentage that is legislated annually by the State of Kansas.

KP&F is a mandatory retirement plan administered by the State of Kansas. All employees working in positions as commissioned Public Safety Officer, including individuals in full-time and regular part-time positions of the City who meet the membership requirements, are required to participate. Participation begins on the first day of employment.

KP&F is a defined benefit pension plan. Monthly retirement benefit is based on final average salary and years of service. Vesting time for retirement is 15 years. Normal retirement age varies with age and years of service in the retirement system. Employees contribute 7% of their gross salary and the City contributes a percentage that is legislated annually by the State of Kansas.

457 DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

The ICMA Retirement Corporation administers the City's 457 Deferred Compensation Plan. All full-time and regular part-time employees are eligible to participate. There is no waiting period. ICMA is a voluntary program that allows an employee to save money that is tax deferred for retirement. The amount is set aside from the employee’s paycheck and invested for him in the investment option(s) he chooses. There are no vesting requirements.

There is an administration fee. The employee chooses his payroll deduction amount not to exceed the maximum allowed by law per year. The City will make contributions for those employees working in KPERS covered positions, including individuals in all full-time and regular part-time positions except those covered under the KP&F system, who meet or will meet the membership requirements based on the following employee contributions:

KPERS employees during "Year of Service":

The employee contributes 7% of their gross salary. The City contributes 4%.

KPERS participating employees.

The employee contributes 3% of their gross salary. The City contributes 4%.

DISABILITY BENEFITS

Disability benefits are provided through KPERS. An employee must be member of the KPERS or KP&F Retirement Program to be eligible. The cost is included in the employer’s contribution mentioned under the KPERS Retirement Plan benefit.

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE

The City offers an employee assistance program through New Directions Employee Assistance Program that is contracted through the Mid-America Regional Council Insurance Trust (MARCIT). The City pays 100% of the costs.

LIFE INSURANCE

The City provides fifteen thousand ($15,000) of group term life and accidental death insurance. Optional spouse/dependent child coverage is available. All full-time and regular part-time employees are eligible to participate. The waiting period ends on the first day of the month coinciding with or following the date of employment. The City pays 100% of the premium for the employee. Optional coverage for spouse and/or dependent child(ren) is funded 100% by employee.

Additional life insurance benefits are provided through the KPERS retirement program. Benefits available under each program are legislated by the State of Kansas. An employee must be eligible for the KPERS Retirement Program to participate. Participation begins on the first day of the pay period following one year of employment for KPERS members and the first day of employment for KP&F members. The cost is included in the employer’s contribution mentioned under the KPERS Retirement Plan benefit.

OPTIONAL GROUP LIFE INSURANCE

Optional group life insurance, up to a maximum benefit of $250,000 is available for KPERS/KPF members through Minnesota Life. Premiums are age-based and dependent on coverage level.

EDUCATIONAL REIMBURSEMENT

All full-time employees are eligible for educational reimbursement after completing one year of service. The City reimburses 100% of tuition to a maximum of one-hundred dollars ($100) per undergraduate credit hour and one-hundred fifty dollars ($150) per graduate credit hour and related book fees for job-related and pre-approved college credit hours with an annual maximum reimbursement of one-thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) per year and a life-time maximum reimbursement of six thousand dollars ($6,000), provided the course is satisfactorily completed with a G.P.A. of 2.0 or higher. Tuition reimbursement is dependent on budgetary resources and there is no guarantee that funds will be available. Employees who voluntarily leave the employment of the City of Gardner within one year of the completion of the last course for which Educational Expense Reimbursement was paid shall be liable for all costs of fees and books that have already been reimbursed by the City for that year.

RECREATION DISCOUNT

All full-time and regular part-time employees and their immediate families receive swimming pool passes.

UNIFORMS AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT

Whenever the City requires the use of uniforms or safety equipment, the City will pay for its purchase and any maintenance (except laundry and dry cleaning) when such equipment requires it. EXCEPTION: In the case of Public Safety, laundry and dry cleaning expenses are included.

PAYROLL SAVINGS

Employees are eligible for membership in the Credit Union of Johnson County. Each employee who requests deductions be made from his salary to be deposited with the Credit Union of Johnson County must request so in writing. The City has no responsibility for liability for the deposits once they are made with the Credit Union.

SUPPLEMENTAL LIFE, ACCIDENT, AND DISABILITY INSURANCE

Employees are eligible for membership in a group employee’s accident, life and disability insurance plan with Colonial Life and Accident Insurance Company. The City will, upon written request of the employee, make deductions from the salary of that employee for group accident insurance with Colonial Life and Accident Insurance Company.

ROCKET MEDIA