Voluntary Phased Retirement Program for Unclassified Employees

This program is open to all benefits-eligible faculty and unclassified professionals who have attained age 55 and who have completed at least 10 years of service with one or more Board of Regents educational institutions.

1. A participant's current appointment is reduced to no less than .25 FTE;
2. The participant's salary is reduced but benefits (health insurance, death and disability coverage, and retirement contributions) stay at the pre-retirement rate;
3. Tenure is not affected; and
4. The participant must retire at the end of the agreement period.

1. The employee must submit a written request to the department head/dean. Ensure the request details the plan of work for the phased retirement period. The request should clearly outline which duties the employee will continue to perform during phased retirement, vs. those that will no longer be part of their duties with the reduced FTE.
2. The department head/dean discusses with the employee.
3. The dean's office completes the Transmittal form
4. The department head and/or dean completes a memorandum which includes the recommendation to the Provost and Executive Vice President OR appropriate Vice President (Vice President for Student Life, Vice President for Research, or Vice President for Communications and Marketing).
5. The department submits the employee's request, transmittal form, and memorandum of recommendation to Human Resources – Benefits for processing.
6. HR-Benefits completes the formal phased retirement agreement, obtains all signatures, and submits it to Imaging.
7. The department is responsible for submitting the appropriate documents to reduce the employee’s FTE/salary and completing a new employee contract, using the appropriate template.

The Provost and Executive Vice President OR appropriate Vice President.

• The participant must retire at the end of the agreement period.
• The agreement must be mutually agreed upon by the employee and the appropriate institutional officer.
• The employer may deny the request.
• The agreement may be modified by further reducing the participant's fractional appointment or by permitting full retirement at an earlier date. Modifications must be by mutual consent.
• The agreement can be rescinded within 48 hours of signature at the option of the employee, but is otherwise irrevocable.
• The average period of phased retirement that will be approved is two to three years. In unusually meritorious cases a maximum length of phased retirement agreement that may be approved is 5 years.
• The participant may be re-employed 60 days or later after completion of a phased retirement agreement on a post-retirement basis if no retirement plan distributions have been made.
• The participant is not eligible for overload pay, except when the participant is on a nine-month appointment and is hired to work during the summer while the participant is on leave.
• Can phased retirees receive an additional pay? Please see PPM Chapter 4810.030B which states, in part, "Phased retirement participants are not eligible for overload pay, except when the participant is on a nine-month appointment and is hired to work during the summer while the participant is on leave."

Questions? Contact Benefits by emailing benefits@ksu.edu or calling (785) 532-6277.