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• Employee Benefits
• Benefit Time Accruals
• Holidays

Employee Benefits

The City of Gardner offers a wide range of employee benefits including:

• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Flexible Spending Plan
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Employee Assistance
• Supplemental Life, Accident and Disability Insurance

The City of Gardner also offers the following additional benefits:

• Retirement
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan
• Long Term Disability Benefits
• Recreation Discount

Detailed information about each of these items can be found below:

RETIREMENT

The City's retirement benefits are provided through the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) or Kansas Police and Fire Retirement System (KP&F).

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 Police 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 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 5 years. Normal retirement age is 65. Employees contribute 6% of their gross salary. The City contributes a percentage that is legislated annually by the State of Kansas.

KP&F

• KP&F is a mandatory retirement plan administered by the State of Kansas. All employees working in positions as commissioned Police Officers, 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 7.15% 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/her 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 the membership requirements based on the following employee contributions:

• KPERS participating employees
• The employee contributes 1% of their gross salary. The City contributes 1%

LONG-TERM 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.  Employees are able to purchase short-term/long-term disability coverage thru the City’s supplemental insurance provider.

RECREATION DISCOUNT

All full-time and regular part-time employees and their immediate family members who live at home will receive swimming pool passes.

Benefit Time Accrual

VACATION LEAVE

Each full-time employee shall accrue vacation leave at the following rate:

All part-time employees accrue vacation leave at a proportional rate. Temporary employees do not accrue vacation leave.

SICK LEAVE

All full-time employees accrue sick leave at a rate of 3.692 hours per pay period. All part-time employees accrue sick leave at a proportional rate. Temporary employees do not accrue sick leave.

Holidays

All full-time and part-time employees of the City shall be scheduled off or receive compensation for the following holidays:

* *Holidays that fall on a Saturday will normally be observed on the preceding Friday and those which fall on a Sunday will normally be observed on the following Monday. In the case of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day falling on Friday and Saturday, the holidays will be observed on the preceding Thursday and Friday. In the case of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day falling on Sunday and Monday, the holidays will be observed on Monday and the following Tuesday. All holidays begin at 12:01 a.m. and end at 12:00 midnight.