(The Center Square) – Kansas Governor Laura Kelly recently sent state employees a letter informing them they will receive a pay increase, effective immediately.
In May, the governor signed pay increases into law for state employees receiving below-market-rate compensation.
“This past spring, I called on the Kansas Legislature to provide pay increases for all state employees to put their compensation on track with the market rate,” Kelly said in a press release. “I saw this investment as absolutely essential to recruiting and retaining the workers who go above and beyond every day to improve the lives of their fellow Kansans.”
The plan impacts workers in, “public safety, infrastructure projects, mental health resources, education, and services to businesses and families across the state,” according to the release.
The Kansas Organization of State Employees (KOSE) backed the proposal and helped convince Kelly to make it happen.
“These pay increases will make state workers and the communities they serve safer,” KOSE president Sarah LaFrenz said. “Our frontline workers make real sacrifices on behalf of Kansas citizens every day. We were and remain proud to work with Governor Kelly on this pay proposal to ensure that these sacrifices are properly recognized, and our state workers get the reinforcements they need through increased employee recruitment and retention efforts. States around the nation are facing critical staffing shortages. In Kansas, Governor Kelly is showing real leadership in making essential investments in our state workforce to ensure Kansans receive the services they expect and deserve.”
Additionally, Kelly noted in her letter that Kansas stabilized its State Health Employee Benefits Plan (SHEBP) for the fifth consecutive year, meaning employee contributions either decreased or remained the same. She contrasted that with the previous eight years when the employee contribution increased.
Kelly’s letter to state employees can be read here.
