Low pay biggest concern among Kansas state employees

A survey of the state of Kansas' 8,000 executive branch employees shows that the biggest concern for most of them is low pay and poor benefits.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that while 65 percent of respondents from 14 Cabinet agencies are satisfied with their jobs, three in five cite low pay and benefits as their most significant workplace concern.

The Kansas Department of Administration released findings Wednesday of the anonymous, voluntary survey. It was conducted in June at the urging of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

The department says 54 percent of employees from the Cabinet agencies responded.

Lawmakers this year approved a bill signed by Kelly to provide state employees with a 2.5% pay raise. Health insurance plan premiums for state workers were lowered in 2019 by 6%.