Frequently Asked Questions

Kansas State offers a comprehensive benefits package with a variety of options to meet your personal needs.
Benefit-eligible employees are in a non-temporary position hired for 0.5 FTE or greater.

Benefits include:

• Health Insurance
• Wellness Initiatives
• Retirement Plans
• Savings Plans
• Life Insurance
• Paid Leaves and Holidays
• Tuition Assistance
• Employee Discounts
• Employee Assistance Program

The K-State Benefits Brochure can be found here. (pdf)

Yes, K-State offers health insurance plans to Graduate Research Assistants (GRA), Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA)and Graduate Assistants (GA) for student employees. Click here for more details and enrollment information.

Yes, it is possible to make changes to your benefits and update personal information. Changes to your benefits would include during
qualifying life events such as marriage, birth, adoption or death, health insurance open enrollment, or for Health Savings Account (HSA)
contributions.

• Personal Updates
• Health Insurance Enrollment
• Add a Dependent
• Make a Mid-Year Change
• Make an HSA Change

The Benefits team members can be reached by phone at 785.532.6277 or by email at benefits@ksu.edu.

The 1095-C is a new tax form given to all health insurance-eligible employees and required under the Affordable Care Act. It contains detailed information on their state employee health insurance coverage offered by Kansas State University. The 1095-C form is required for filing 2016 taxes and serves as a "proof of insurance statement" for the IRS.

The form identifies:

• The employee and the employer
• Which months in 2016 the employee was eligible for coverage
• Minimum monthly premium under the plan

If you would like more in depth information, the following link will help you decode each section of the form: 1095-C form Decoder

A 1095-C form will be sent to Kansas State University employees who met the following eligibility criteria for 2016:

• Considered full time employees by the ACA definition
• Worked an average of at least 30 hours per week
• Eligible for state employee health insurance including those who declined/waived coverage.

The Affordable Care Act requires employers to send the 1095-C form to all employees who meet eligibility criteria in 2016. (See question: Who receives a 1095-C form?)

If you did not meet one of the eligibility criteria in 2016, you will not receive a 1095-C form from the State of Kansas

Yes, if you were eligible for health insurance and offered coverage through State of Kansas
No, if you were not eligible for health insurance and were not offered coverage through the State of Kansas.

1095-C forms for State of Kansas employees are available to print through the State of Kansas Membership Administration Portal (MAP). K-State employees are able to sign into MAP with their eID and password through HRIS > Employee Self Service> Benefits > Health Insurance Enrollment. When logged into MAP, the 1095-C form is located on the Forms tab on the Account Overview page, under "Tax Forms."
The 1095-C forms will also be mailed directly to the employee's mailing address listed in MAP. To view the mailing address, go to "Contact Information" on the Member and Family page tab.

Please hold onto you 1095-C form for tax filing purposes. It contains information that will used on your 1040, 1040A or 1040EX tax form.

More information is on the IRS website. If you have more questions, please contact Benefits at benefits@k-state.edu or call 785-532-6277.

Employees and spouses are able to sign up for HealthQuest. When an employee signs up, when entering the employee ID, he or she must put "EE" at the end of the employee ID number. The spouse will put "SP" at the end. For example: an employee will register with W0000099999EE and the employee's spouse will register with W0000099999SP. If the system still does not recognize you, please call HealthQuest directly for assistance. HealthQuest contact information: 1-888-275-1205 or email HealthQuest Staff.

Preventative exams will be automatically reported from the employee's health insurance. The only information reported to HealthQuest will be the date of service and type of service. For example: Dentist appointment – 01.10.2018. Credits will be awarded as such.

You may sign up for a health coach meeting either virtually or one-on-one in person. When in the HealthQuest portal, navigate to "Event Registration" at the top of the screen and choose "Health Coaching" as the event type.

Selections for the Naturally Slim program will be made based on the capacity of each group. If you are not selected for the first round of the program, there will be other opportunities throughout the year to participate in the Naturally Slim program.

Biometric screenings are currently available by appointment only. Please schedule an appointment by logging into your HealthQuest portal, choose "Step 2" in the banner at the top of the portal. You are then able to pick the appropriate city and schedule your biometric screening appointment.

You may switch to the retiree plan should you desire. Your coverage will remain with the group, but your coverage amount will reduce to $10,000 and if you have spousal coverage, that reduces to $1,000. You will be billed on an annual basis by Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company (The Hartford).

You may enroll by going to Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company (The Hartford) website. The Login Information is as follows:

You may enroll by going to Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company (The Hartford) website. You will use your Login ID (this is your full employee ID). Choose reset password. You will then be asked for your email address. Your email address is your K-State email. Example: williewildcat@ksu.edu
Follow all prompts to reset your password.

See The Hartford's My Tomorrow website, it's a great resource to help you look at what benefits may be helpful to you!

To request non-emergency medical treatment the HR Liaison or Supervisor may call the SSIF at (785)296-2364. In some cases, the SSIF may not be able to authorize medical treatment until the electronic incident report is submitted to Human Resources.
An individual should never be discouraged from seeking medical treatment if they feel it is necessary, however, if an employee self‐selects a doctor and does not have prior authorization for treatment from SSIF, the SSIF will only be responsible for the first $500 in unauthorized medical bills from the self‐selected physician once the injury has been found compensable.

• All medical bills should be submitted directly by the provider to the SSIF at the following address: CompAlliance/SSIF, PO Box 1697, Topeka, KS 66601-1697.
• DO NOT send medical bills to Human Resources, this will only delay the payment.
• The employee should notify his or her medical provider that the claim should be submitted as workers compensation to the above address. Questions about medical payments should be directed to the SSIF at 785-296-2364.

The employee will need to pay for the visit and submit the bill to their medical insurance provider. The employee will receive a denial letter from the SSIF that can be sent to the medical insurance provider and/or their personal health insurance.

When medical treatment has been authorized by SSIF, the First Fill Form (pdf) should be provided to the employee for use in filling the first prescription(s) following the injury. The form can only be used for prescription medications related to this injury within the first 24 hours after receipt of the form.

The compensation structure is an important part of a compensation program that supports competitive and equitable pay.
Click here for more information.

The Compensation Structure Glossary is provided as a reference to help you understand terminology used in the Compensation Structure.

Job classifications (formal titles) and corresponding pay grade assignments are made by thoroughly reviewing the current position description for the role. Position descriptions contain key information about purpose, duties, supervision, independent judgement, complexity, scope, budget related authority, and other compensable factors – all of these are considered and matched to a title in our compensation structure.

If there isn’t a good match already present in our compensation structure, we begin a market review process to identify a match outside of our structure, identify what is competitive pay for that role, and add it to our library of titles at K-State.

A process of reviewing jobs and identifying comparable matches to determine market competitive pay for the role.

Our market reviews include information from compensation surveys and other universities; at least 5 sources to ensure we have enough data to credibly determine market pay. The median and mean of the compensation data for the comparable roles are used to identify which K-State pay grade is most representative.

Mediation is when two (or more) people who are involved in a dispute voluntarily sit down with a neutral third party, the mediator, and try to work out a mutually acceptable solution. The mediator is not a judge or arbitrator and will not be making a ruling at the end of the session. The mediator will facilitate a discussion between the parties to assist in looking for mutually acceptable solutions to the work-related issues in dispute. Mediation is a place where people in conflict can come together informally in a safe, neutral environment to work towards a common agreement in a voluntary and confidential process. Either party can withdraw or choose not to participate at any time.

It is very important that the parties know that what is discussed in the mediation session is confidential. No tape recordings are made, no court reporter will be present and no attorneys will be allowed to attend the mediation session. The mediator will not reveal anything discussed during the mediation to anyone other than the participants.

A few examples of when mediation might be utilized would include, but not be limited to the following:

• Disagreement over a salary adjustment
• Performance evaluation
• Promotion & tenure issues
• Work place dispute
• Instances of alleged harassment or discrimination that do not meet the legal standard for such but which include real or perceived problems requiring resolution.

Mediation can be very effective in these situations because the parties are, more than likely, going to have to continue to work together on a day-to-day basis. Thus, there is a mutually beneficial incentive to improve and continue a relationship and to explore ways to prevent conflicts from arising in the future.

Mediation is available to all faculty and unclassified professionals. Employee Relations & Training within K-State’s Human Resources department can assist mediation requests for classified employees at K-State.

Simply contact the Mediation Coordinator, Charlotte Self at charlott@k-state.edu or 2-1868 and let her know you are interested in exploring mediation.

Mediation can be requested at any point in the process of informal facilitation, appeal, grievance or litigation.

K-State's mediation program is free. The University will pay for the fees for mediation unless an outside complaint or lawsuit has been filed.

The parties select their mediator for the session from a list of professionals developed by a faculty senate & the office of the Provost. All of the mediators on the list are state approved & certified mediators, drawn from a list maintained by the Office of Judicial Administration out of Topeka.

The Mediation Coordinator assists the parties involved in understanding the mediation process, and helps them make a determination as to whether the situation is suitable for mediation and if mediation is the most appropriate dispute resolution option at K-State to attempt to resolve the particular dispute. The coordinator also helps the requesting party make contact with others at K-State if it appears another avenue is more appropriate.

After the requesting party has expressed a desire to pursue the matter through mediation, the coordinator contacts the other involved parties, explains the mediation process and briefly summarizes what will occur in the actual mediation session. The coordinator secures the signatures necessary on the Agreement to Mediate, arranges for the selected mediator to travel to Manhattan to facilitate the session, and arranges for a neutral & private location for the mediation session to be held.

Even if the parties decide not to pursue the situation through mediation, conversations with the coordinator will be considered a part of the mediation process and bound by confidentiality.

Mediation can be requested at any point in the appeal or grievance process. If an agreement is not reached, other grievance options are still available to the parties, including filing a formal grievance or pursuing appropriate legal options.

At K-State an ombudsperson is an impartial faculty member or unclassified professional who serves as a resource to facilitate communication regarding concerns related to employment. The ombudsperson may also provide information about the grievance and appeal process and guide a grievant through the initial stages of a grievance. The ombudsperson assists faculty and unclassified professionals, including administrators, to provide information and facilitate communication.

Tara Coleman
Professor
Hale Library
Email: tcole2@k-state.edu

Jared Meitler
Director
Pre-Professional Advising Center
Email:jmeitler@ksu.edu

The Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate appoints three ombudspersons to serve at any given time. Ombudspersons may be a tenured faculty member or an unclassified professional on a regular appointment. They are selected for their familiarity with the university's structure and operations, and many have served on Faculty Senate or the General Grievance Board. Each ombudsperson serves a three-year term that begins the first day of each fall semester. Service as an ombudsperson is considered as part of the ombudsperson's responsibility during the term of appointment. Assistance provided by ombudspersons is free of charge.

Ombudspersons are available to assist all faculty and unclassified professionals, including administrators. Faculty include all individuals with the academic ranks of Instructor through Full Professor. Graduate research and teaching assistants (GRA's and GTA's) are also on faculty appointments. Unclassified professionals include all who do not hold academic rank and do not have a University Support Staff (USS) classification. All Research Assistants/Associates and Extension Assistants/Associates are unclassified professionals. Also, unclassified professionals serve in student service departments or in other support units of the university. Directors, assistants, coordinators, and specialists who are not USS are examples of unclassified professionals.

• Issues related to promotion and/or tenure
• Issues related to renewal of probationary contract
• Salary inequity
• Evaluation disputes
• Disputes between faculty or unclassified professionals and administration
• Disputes between faculty members or unclassified professionals
• Other issues of concern regarding employment

It is suggested that ombudspersons be consulted early in any of the above situations.

• Serve as a listener who will maintain a degree of confidentiality
• Provide information on university policies and procedures
• Facilitate communication and/or attend meetings to listen to concerns and/or seek resolution
• Provide guidance regarding the grievance process
• Advise about appropriateness of mediation and how to access it

• Act as an advocate for either side
• Determine who is "right" or "wrong"
• Determine violations of policy
• Make management decisions
• Make policy
• Testify in any formal process inside or outside the university "unless required by subpoena"

K-State 2025 tasked Human Resources with developing and implementing programs and services to “foster a work environment that encourages creativity, excellence, and high morale in faculty and staff, responses to changing needs, embraces diversity, values communication and collaboration, and is respectful, trusting, fair, and collegial for all.”

HR recognized the need for a comprehensive tool to support this work. The competency library from Korn Ferry© establishes a strong foundation with 38 research-based competencies and numerous tools and resources to guide employees through their employment life-cycle, from hire to retire.

A competency framework establishes a common language among employees to identify and utilize skills and behaviors required for success. This assists the university in achieving key outcomes for K-State 2025's Theme 5: Faculty and Staff strategy.

Competencies are observable and measurable skills and behaviors that contribute to workplace effectiveness and career success. Furthermore, competencies are a way of categorizing and translating knowledge, skills, and abilities into on-the-job behaviors.

Competency models provide universities with:

• Greater alignment with institutional priorities.
• Increased productivity.
• Strengthen workforce adaptability.
• Enhanced ability to identify and develop high potential employees.
• Improved retention of highly skilled employees.

Yes. Search committees can interview candidates using competency-based interview questions based on what is most needed for success in that position. For instance, if working well with a wide range of people is key to the role, an interviewer might ask the candidate to "Describe a time when you needed to build a relationship with someone very different from you."

To learn more, contact your Talent Acquisition Strategic Partner.

HR will be offering competency education workshops on a regular basis and by request. To request a workshop, please email learning-develop-hr@ksu.edu.

A focus group was conducted in April 2018 comprised of various K-State stakeholders.

In addition, HR created a Strategic Advisory Council that is expected to assist and provide solutions to HR leadership regarding the monitoring and implementation of yearly goals and the division's 2025 strategic plan. The council is charged to promote advocacy of strategic initiatives and best practices.

Advisory Members:

• Becki Bohnenblust, College or Arts and Sciences
• Lynn Carlin, Office of the Provost
• Mandy Cole, Administration and Finance
• Ambrosia Cooper, Ex Officio, Communications and Marketing
• Cindy Delfelder, community stakeholder
• Makenna Dunderand, student
• Jenny Locanthi Dowell, Human Resources
• Betsy Draper, Information Technology Services
• Dr. Jason Ellis, Communication and Agriculture Education
• Dr. Trisha Gott, Staley School of Leadership Studies
• Shanna Legleiter, Co-Chair, Human Resources
• Roberta Maldonado Franzen, Co-Chair, Human Resources
• Dr. Debbie Mercer, College of Education
• Madaí Rivera, College of Human Ecology
• Roberta Robinson, Olathe
• Adrian Rodriguez, Diversity and Multicultural Student Affairs
• Morgan Ruhkamp, student
• Major Oscar Ruiz, K-State Police Department
• Dr. Bryan Samuel, Office of the President
• Jay Stephens, Ex Officio, Human Resources
• Diana McElwain, Recorder, Human Resources

The classroom learning includes approximately 30 hours of instruction in addition to approximately 3 hours of online learning.

Each session will have a maximum of 30 participants. Learning and Development will manage a wait list for enrollment.

Yes. The final offering of Introduction to Supervision will take place in February 2019.

Priority enrollment will be given to employees who are required to complete supervisory training in accordance with K-State policy, PPM Chapter 4880. For instance, University Support Staff (USS) supervisors who supervise USS employees will get priority enrollment. Other employees considered for priority enrollment include those who have not had supervisory training within the last three years. Other enrollment will be granted on first come first serve.

Supervisors are welcome to enroll in courses individually. Learning and Development will track attendance towards Pillar I certificate completion.

Human Resources allows supervisors the flexibility to begin and finish the program as needed by employees. Employees required to attain supervisory training within 6 months of supervisory appointment will have to extend their probationary status.

Yes, as long as supervisors have fulfilled all course session requirements within each pillar.

Yes, you may designate up to a maximum of six financial institutions with up to nine accounts for payroll funds but only one account for your travel and expense reimbursement direct deposits.

Paycheck information is available online at the View Paycheck feature of the Human Resource Information System (HRIS) Employee Self Service. Online pay information can usually be viewed as early as the Friday before payday. The date and amount of deposit are some oft he information available at View Paycheck.

This is highly unlikely; however, if it should occur, contact your department's HR Liaison. They will initiate the appropriate action to correct the situation.

Make changes by completing a new Authorization for Direct Deposit of Employee Pay and send it to Human Resources, 111 Dykstra Hall, 1628 Claflin Rd, Manhattan, KS 66506-4801. The changes will be effective for the next available pay period.

Contact Human Resources at (785) 532-6277.

All applications must be received through our applicant tracking system. Click Apply Now on the position you are interested in. You will be prompted to enter a valid email address to create an account. Please use the same email address and password each time you apply for a position. This will assist the university in processing your application as quickly as possible.