Approval of Previous Minutes —

Meeting minutes from Oct. 18, 2023. Motion to approve by Gary Minden. Seconded by David Ekerdt. Motion passed unanimously.

Guest Speaker Presentation —

1. Beth Benfield introduced Madi Vannaman, Director of Human Resources Benefits. The committee invited Madi to this meeting to talk about how HR interacts and communicates with retirees, as well as how retirees will fit into the new HR model.
2. The HR Transformation is still being discussed and things are not yet final, but the benefits team will not change. The benefits unit provides information to prospective, mid-term, and retiring employees. People who are considering retirement can reach out to HR and the benefits team provides them with relevant information and resources. They work directly with the retiree and members of their family, if necessary. They prefer to provide this information in a written format so that it can be easily referenced.
3. Q&A
   1. Q: Is there a retirees handbook? How do we get access to that?
      1. A: It is on the HR website. Madi provided a link to the retiree benefits page and a link to the policy library.
   2. Q: Could this information be displayed more prominently? There is nothing on the page provided that is explicitly called the retiree handbook. In the policy library, there is no discrete pdf, as indicated on the website. There is also additional/different information on the IT page that is not in the handbook. Can these be simplified and updated?
      1. A: Madi will make website edits to clear up some of these inconsistencies.
   3. Q: Does affiliate status mean that someone is an active employee? What about when it comes to IT/Microsoft Office products?
      1. A: Yes and no. An affiliate is active in terms of benefits received, but they are not being paid. Dave Ekerdt provided some insight based on personal experience. He is an affiliate and he maintains access to Microsoft Office products. Beth also provided some insight regarding the differences between staff and faculty benefits in this space. A staff member can never qualify for this affiliate status. Madi will follow up with Beth about emeritus staff.
   4. Comment: Dave Mannering, from the Endacott Society, has a collection of retiree handbooks from other universities. These may be valuable references for improving KU’s retiree handbook.
   5. Q: Once someone retires, what kind of communications do they receive from KU, e.g., notification of resources, support, opportunities, changes?
      1. A: It varies a lot. Madi is not sure that HR sends global information to retirees because most of their communication pertains to current employees.
   6. Q: Is there a distribution list for retirees? How do we let people know this information?
      1. A: Madi is not sure. There is a faculty retirement luncheon invite that goes out to faculty retirees, which presumably requires an email list.
   7. Q: What are some other differences between faculty and staff retirees?
      1. A: Not much, aside from separate retirement luncheons for faculty (sponsored by Chancellor/Provost’s Office) and staff (sponsored by HR). All other benefits are the same.
   8. Comment: Unclassified Professional Staff lose access to their email.
   9. Q: What does your office spend the most time on in terms of supporting retirees with their benefits?
      1. A: Health insurance. We also rely on the Senior Resource Center, since HR focuses on the state plan.
   10. Q: Does the state control the rule regarding leaving/re-entering the state health insurance plan?
       1. A: Yes
   11. Q: Does HR still hold a health insurance info session?
       1. A: Yes. It covers a wide variety of topics. There are recordings posted online.
   12. Q: Does HR communicate to prospective retirees regarding relationships with their departments/units?
       1. A: HR includes an exit interview opportunity. Madi suggested that the Office of Faculty Affairs could help with the issues regarding these relationships. They could provide insight regarding patterns, etc.
   13. Q: What’s the best way to communicate questions/comments with HR?
       1. A: General questions can be directed to Mike Rounds, and benefits questions can be directed to Madi.

Unfinished Business —

The committee discussed reaching out to IT to find out the reason behind eliminating Unclassified Professional Staff’s access to email.

There was also discussion about the potential distribution lists and communication options. It may be important for the committee to be able to share events, learning opportunities, and updates to resources. Currently, the committee cannot suggest communications to retirees because there is no simple way to contact them. There were reservations about pushing communication to retirees because not everyone will want this. Another option would be to create an opt-in update system.

New Business —

The committee will meet again in mid-late January.