4.07 - Kansas Public Employees’ Retirement Program (KPERS)

Kansas Public Employees’ Retirement Program (KPERS)

A Tier 1 member is an employee who was hired before July 1, 2009 or is vested in KPERS from previous employment at a KPERS institution. These employees are required to contribute four percent (4%) of their gross pay towards KPERS.

A Tier 2 member is an employee who was hired on July 1, 2009 or after. If the employee was previously a Tier 1 member and withdrew membership in KPERS, or left employment before vesting, he/she will be a Tier 2 member if he/she returned to work July 1, 2009, or after. These employees are required to contribute six percent (6%) of their gross pay towards KPERS

In addition to retirement, KPERS includes provisions for:

1. Life insurance for the employee in an amount equal to 150% of the employee's annual salary.
2. A disability program, which provides payments, that together with payments from other sources such as Social Security, are sufficient to bring the total disability to 60% of the employee’s salary at the time of his/her disability retirement. Disability requires a 180- day waiting period.

If an employee terminates his/her employment and does not obtain employment from another public employer who participates in the KPERS, her/she is entitled to obtain a refund of his/her contributions plus accumulated interest.