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DA Memo - May 7, 2007

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  1. Member annual statements available on the employer web portal
  2. Continue using the employer web portal throughout the year
  3. Retirement benefits changing for new employees beginning July 1, 2009
  4. “Year of Service” eliminated for non-school members beginning July 1, 2009
  5. Five-year vesting for all KPERS members beginning July 1, 2009

Note: KPERS will mail employer rate letters by the end of May.

1. Member annual statements available on the employer web portal

If you have received printed member annual statements for your employees, you can now access the statements
as PDFs on KPERS’ employer web portal.

Instructions for accessing member annual statements (PDF, 349KB)

 

2. Continue using the employer web portal throughout the year

This year’s annual contribution reporting is done, but keep in mind that you should continue to use the employer web portal to stay current with enrollments, adjustments, etc. Sending information throughout the year will make reporting easier and faster next year.

Here’s a list of functions currently available on the web portal. More functions will become available over the next year.

  • Online Forms – submit information to KPERS
    • New member enrollments (K-1s)
    • Employment status changes
    • Advanced certifications
    • Adjustments (K-17s)
  • View Employer Profile Information – address, contacts, contact roles, etc.
  • Search and View Employee Information – employment history and beneficiaries
  • View Remittance and Invoice Information
  • View Other Information – bank information, fund statements, contribution and insurance rates,
    and period of service dates
  • View Employee Annual Statements

 

3. Retirement benefits changing for new employees

New legislation has changed retirement benefits for future KPERS members, beginning with employees
hired July 1, 2009.

Important : Please continue to remind current employees that their retirement benefits are safe and guaranteed by Kansas law. The new plan design in no way affects current retirement eligibility. The “85 point rule,” early retirement options and all other eligibility will stay the same for current members.

Here are a few benefit highlights from the new benefit plan design. We will send additional details as we develop
our implementation plan.

  • First-day membership in KPERS (no “year of service” for non-school members)
  • Five-year vesting
  • Normal retirement at age 65 with five years of service, or at age 60 with 30 years of service
  • Early retirement at age 55 with ten years of service
  • Automatic annual 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment in retirement beginning at age 65
  • Employee contribution rate of 6 percent

 

4. “Year of Service” eliminated for non-school members

With newly passed legislation, non-school members will no longer need to work a “year of service” to earn their
KPERS membership beginning July 1, 2009. Non-school employees working in a KPERS-eligible job will become KPERS members on their first day of employment, like school employees do now.

Non-school employees hired between July 1, 2008 , and June 30, 2009, will all become members on July 1, 2009. Employees in this group will have varying quarters of service to work before becoming a member.

For example: An employee hired in July 2008 will practically work a full year before becoming a member
on July 1, 2009. However, someone hired in June 2009 will only work a few weeks or days before becoming
a member on July 1, 2009. Members will be able to purchase these various numbers of quarters just like partial
years of service credit can be purchased now.

We will provide more information about this transition to first-day membership in designated agent workshops this fall.

What You Need to Do

  1. For now, continue to send enrollment forms on the web portal or by paper for non-school
    employees after they have finished their “year of service.”
  2. Watch for more information at the fall designated agent workshops.

 

5. Five-year vesting for all KPERS members

Right now, KPERS members vest their retirement benefit with ten years of service credit. Beginning July 1, 2009, all KPERS members will begin vesting their benefits with only five years of service credit. This means that members with 4.5 to 9.25 years of service on July 1, 2009, will all vest that day. This change is more than two years away, but we wanted to let you know legislation has passed making this change.

 

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact the KPERS InfoLine.