City of Mankato
2026 BENEFITS OVERVIEW
For Regular Full-Time Employees
The City of Mankato provides a comprehensive, balanced, and competitive benefits package as part of your total compensation. The City's benefits programs address both the immediate needs that you and your family may have, such as medical coverage or flexible spending accounts, and your long-term needs, such as retirement savings. The following outline of City-offered benefits serves as an overview and does not provide all provisions, limitations, and exclusions. If there is a contradiction between this and the official plan documents, the plan documents will prevail.
EMPLOYER PROVIDED BENEFITS:
Paid Vacation:
Vacation accruals, utilization, and payouts vary within each collective bargaining agreement and/or employee handbook. The following is the general overview of the vacation benefit:
- Vacation hours may be accrued to a maximum of 50 days or 400 hours.
- Hours are accrued incrementally each pay period.
- Vacation hours may be taken in 30-minute increments.
- Unused balance carries over year to year.
Years of Service - Vacation Days Per Year
0 - 5 years - 10 days
6 - 10 years - 15 days
11 - 14 years - 17 days
15 -20 years - 20 days
21 years - 21 days
22 years - 22 days
23 years - 23 days
24 years - 24 days
25 years - 25 days
26 years - 26 days
27 years - 27 days
28 years - 28 days
29 years - 29 days
30+ years - 30 days
Paid Sick Leave:
Employees earn 8 hours of sick leave per month.
11 Paid Holidays and 1 Floating Holiday:
All regular full-time employees of the City, except those who are governed by a union contract or different holiday policy, receive the following paid holidays:
1. New Year's Day
2. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
3. Presidents Day
4. Memorial Day
5. Juneteenth
6. Independence Day
7. Labor Day
8. Veterans Day
9. Thanksgiving Day
10. Friday After Thanksgiving Day
11. Christmas Day
12. Floating Holiday
Health Insurance Coverage Through Blue Cross/Blue Shield of MN:
- Employee Responsibility
- City contributions for union members will follow negotiated contract language.
Employer and employee contributions for non-union employees are shown below. Please note that union employee health insurance benefits may vary by contract.
NICE Healthcare (Free to all full-time employees):
NICE Healthcare is an integrated primary care clinic – meaning NICE offers almost all of the services of a traditional primary care clinic and then some. And better yet, NICE brings that care to your home, office, or wherever you happen to be.
Offers employees and their household members an amazing healthcare benefit with no out-of-pocket fees. Below are the comprehensive primary care services that NICE offers:
- Same-Day Chat and Video Visits
- In-Home Visits with 35 Free Labs and Physical Tests
- 550+ Free Medications Can Be Prescribed by Our Clinicians
- Free Virtual Physical Therapy
- Free Virtual Mental Health Therapy
- Free In-Home X-rays and EKG Services
Minnesota Paid Family Medical Leave
Minnesota Paid Family Medical Leave is a benefit for employees to be able to have paid time off (with partial wage replacement) and job protection for employees who need to take leave for certain medical or family-care reasons. This is a State required benefit for all employers in the State of Minnesota. Premium contributions for this benefit will be at a shared cost to the City and the employee. Premium rates for 2026 are .78% of gross earnings. This will be split 50/50. Employees will see a .39% of gross wages after tax deduction.
Term Life Insurance:
The City provides a term life insurance policy at no cost to the employee. (Face value is 125% of employee's base salary up to a maximum of face value of $50,000).
Retirement - PERA (Public Employees Retirement Association)
1. Must participate as directed by Minnesota Statutes.
2. Employer and employee contribution rates vary depending on position.
3. May obtain refund of employee contribution on termination of service.
2026 Employer/Employee PERA Contribution Rates - Effective January 1, 2026
Contributions are calculated on gross bi-weekly salary each pay period.
Coordinated Plan
Employer: 7.5%
Employee 6.5%
Police and Fire Plan
Employer: 17.7%
Employee 11.8%
OPTIONAL VOLUNTARY BENEFITS AVAILABLE:
The following benefits are available on an elective basis at the employee's choice:
Deferred Compensation Plans (457)
Plans available through Mission Square Retirement, Nationwide Retirement Solutions, and MN State Deferred Compensation Plan.
Health Care and Day Care Flexible Spending Accounts
Computer Purchase Program
0% interest for up to 3 years (max. $3,500) to purchase a home computer
Voluntary Payroll Deductions Available for:
- Dental Insurance – Coverage through MetLife – 100% employee cost
- Vision Insurance – Coverage through MetLife – 100% employee cost
- YMCA membership at corporate rates
- Savings Bonds
- Various voluntary group life and disability plans.
- AFLAC
Credit Union Membership – Eligible for membership
- MN Valley Federal Credit Union
- Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union
Vacation Purchase Program
Employees may purchase additional vacation time (limits apply).
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
In Addition:
The City of Mankato is a qualifying employer of the Student Loan Forgiveness Program.
Questions regarding benefit information can be directed to Human Resources at 507-387-8664.
