Public Safety Benefits

The city believes it must protect and support its employees by offering competitive pay and benefits.

Although a particular benefit plan or program may not have the same value to every employee, together, they are intended to provide a comprehensive set of balanced offerings which satisfy the overall needs of city employees.

Health & Dental Insurance

Retirement Plans

Vacation, holidays and absences

Vacation is accrued each pay period, based on length of service. Accrued vacation may be carried over from year to year with a limit of two times the annual rate.

*Accrual rate based on a 26 pay period schedule for those employees working a 40-hour workweek schedule. This table is not applicable to those employees working a 24-hour shift.

*Accrual rate based on a 26 pay period schedule for those employees working a 24-hour shift schedule. This table is not applicable to those employees working a 40-hour workweek schedule.

The city recognizes the following paid holidays each year:

• New Year's Day
• Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day and the day after
• Christmas Day

In addition to these city observed holidays, full-time employees are granted three paid personal holidays each year.

Leaves of absence

• Personal illness or illness of an immediate family member - Sick leave is accrued at a rate of 3.7 hours per pay period (for employees working a 40-hour workweek schedule) with a maximum accrual of 96 hours per year or 11.08 hours per pay period for employees working a 24-hour shift schedule with a maximum of 288 hours per year. Unused sick leave may be accumulated year-to-year without limits.
• Jury duty or death of immediate family members is paid
• Short-term military service - Employees receive pay equal to the difference between their regular pay and military pay up to 10 working days per year.

Disability

Voluntary short-term disability insurance provides coverage until the employee becomes covered by one of the city's disability plans. During the first 90 days off, the employee will receive 60 percent of his/her base monthly salary, should he/she become sick or injured (including maternity leave) and not able to work. Waiting periods are applicable before benefit payments begin. Employees must exhaust all accrued sick leave before they are eligible for benefit payments under each plan.

Long-term disability benefits are provided by KP&F. If approved, an employee will receive an annual benefit of 50% of his/her final average salary, in on-going monthly payments. There is no waiting period. The employee will continue to accrue service credit. The benefit continues until the employee is no longer disabled or is eligible to retire.

Education

Full-time employees in non-probationary positions may qualify for reimbursement for educational expenses of both credit and non-credit classes including tuition, books and related expenses of both credit and non-credit classes taken at a college, university, trade or vocational school. There is an annual reimbursement limit of $2,500 and nine credit hours per term.

Flexible Benefits Plans

The city's flexible benefits plans allow full-time employees to buy health and dental coverage and/or contribute to an unreimbursed medical expense account or a dependent care expense account through payroll deductions pre-tax (before federal, state and social security taxes are withheld).

Life Insurance

These comprehensive life insurance plans are available for employees and their dependents. The city pays all of the cost of this coverage for the employee.

Coverage goes into effect on the date of hire.

• Standard Life Insurance Plan

• Term life insurance coverage in the amount of 2 1/2 times the annual base salary rounded to the next higher $1,000 with the maximum of $200,000, is provided to full-time public safety employees. The cost of this coverage is paid by the city. Limited coverage for spouse and dependents is available if elected and paid for by the individual employee.

• Accidental death and dismemberment insurance coverage in the amount of 2 1/2 times the annual base salary rounded to the next higher $1,000 with a maximum of $200,000, is provided to full-time public safety employees. This coverage is in addition to the basic term life insurance discussed above. This coverage is in effect while on-duty or off-duty.

A separate schedule of benefits is available for dismemberment.

• Long-term Care Insurance Plan

This city-provided benefit provides a base plan of financial protection for care at home or in a facility when the employee is not able to perform at least two daily living activities (i.e., eating, bathing, dressing, continence, transferring or toileting).

The base plan pays a facility benefit of $1,000 per month for up to three years or $500 a month for professional home care up to six years. Other benefit options are available on a voluntary basis, and your immediate family members (spouse, parents, grandparents, and your spouses' parents and grandparents) also may purchase this plan.

Wellness Program

This voluntary program includes a Health and Fitness Assessment (a series of tests) designed to help employees understand their health status and identify risk factors that may be related to future illness or injury. Free assessment tests are performed annually at several city facilities.

Family members also are eligible to participate in this program for a discounted cost.

Additional Benefits (not all inclusive)

• Activities and Recreation Program, an employee organization, sponsors and organizes charitable events as well as entertainment and recreational opportunities.
• Corporate Challenge is a month-long Olympic-style athletic competition pitting area employers against each other to raise money for local charities.
• Employee Assistance Program is designed to provide employees and their families with assistance in dealing with personal issues.
• Midwest Regional Credit Union provides access and membership to City of Overland Park employees.
• Service Award Program provides recognition and rewards to employees every five years for completion of continuous service. (Full-time and Part-time employees only)