Governor Laura Kelly’s office announced on Tuesday that approximately 2,400 staff in state prisons, state hospitals, and state veterans’ homes will receive permanent salary increases, a move designed to address the shortage of staff in these facilities, which have been in recent months. Has reached a critical level.

The blueprint also includes other compensation adjustments, including temporary salary increases for key employees and a one-time bonus of $3,500 for salaried employees.

The estimated cost of the entire package for the next fiscal year alone exceeds $34 million. Existing institutional funds will fund the initial salary increase, and Kelly’s office said they will work with lawmakers to fund the rest of her plan.

More: State Hospitals and Kansas Institute of Neurology bravely face staffing challenges during the COVID pandemic

Kelly said in a statement: "Our 24/7 facility staff are some of the most necessary jobs we do for Kansas, and frankly, thankless jobs. These pay increases are well-deserved-I The government will continue to work hard to support our state employees and their families."

Sarah LaFrenz, executive director of the Kansas State Employees Organization (a union that represents state workers), said the base salary has increased by one level. This is an increase of approximately 5%, but it depends on the employee's position in the salary scale.

Other temporary increases are related to the role types of workers and their workplaces. Caregivers in 24/7 facilities receive an hourly increase of $4.50; workers in facilities with a vacancy rate of 25% or higher will receive an hourly increase of $2.50. Temporary salary increases can be combined, which means that registered nurses can earn an extra $8.50 per hour before they count as basic salary increases.

More: The shortage of personnel in Kansas State Prisons means that inmates spend more time in cells and get fewer programs

The labor challenge has dealt the same blow to both the private and public sectors, but it has been the hardest hit in national institutions that require round-the-clock staff. Lafrenz said that since July, Kelly’s office and stakeholders have been discussing policy responses to this issue, but the “last straw” was that a correctional officer from Lansing Correctional Institution was being arrested. A prisoner was hospitalized after being beaten.

Lafrenz said: "Time and time again, the most important thing is the safety, staffing and protection of workers." "This is the primary theme of this government and related agencies."

Due to continuing staff shortages, inmates in one of the state’s largest prisons spend more time in their cells, and advocates blame the death of a correctional officer in traffic in October on fatigue after a series of arduous shifts. Since the summer, the Lansing and El Dorado correctional facilities have been in a state of staffing emergency.

Mental health hospitals in the state have similar struggles. The overall staff vacancy rate at Larned and Osawatomie State Hospitals hovers around 38%, but the vacancy rate for certain positions is even higher.

More: Correctional officers are hospitalized after inmate attack at Lansing Correctional Facility

Correctional officers received a raise in 2019, and more than 600 state hospital staff received a raise, but not in the state's largest mental health hospital in Osawatomie. 

The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and Rep. Troy Waymaster of R-Bunker Hill said that the potential staffing level is worth solving, calling it a "public safety discussion" and pointing to Larned's long-standing staffing challenges. 

He pointed out that the state's share of the US rescue plan bill can cover the cost of this move. However, if state funds are used, Waymaster stated that it is important to clarify how long temporary salary increases will last before they become permanent budget items.

He said: "Once you raise your salary, whether it is temporary or trying to hire employees in order to provide higher wages to attract better candidates, you rarely back down." "So you need to make it clear to employees that this is temporary. . I have told (the governor’s office) that you can’t back down, it’s very difficult.”

But Lafrenz said she hopes that legislators can follow in the footsteps of the governor and proceed from the overall situation.

"This is the beginning, not the end," she said. "And the Kansas legislature will have to tilt and really value the work done by its large number of voters."

Andrew Bahl is a senior state legislative reporter for Topeka Capital-Journal. You can contact him at abahl@gannett.com or call 443-979-6100.