Guidelines

Program Overview:

To express appreciation to the valued service that employees of state government provide, the Division of Personnel along with other state agencies, developed a State Employee Discount Program. The State Thanks And Recognition (STAR) project is an employee discount program designed to provide state employees with the opportunity to take advantage of their employment status by receiving discounts on goods and services. The STAR project will showcase discounts and local deals that are available to all state employees (possible limitations or restrictions may be applied). These discounts may be used solely at the discretion of each employee.

Some of these state employee discounts will be neighborhood area markdowns from "Mom and Pop" shops while others will apply statewide and be from national firms. It is our intention to have a dynamic website that is updated when new discounts become available or changes to existing discounts or vendors occur.

Employees can quickly find the services they want from the providers by searching by city, county or industry. No unauthorized information regarding the STAR program should be posted on office bulletin boards or office walls to ensure compliance with any "No-Solicitation" policy.

State of Kansas Employee Discount Program:

The STAR Employee Discount Program offers state employees product and service discounts offered by various vendors throughout the state. In addition, the program offers appropriate vendors the opportunity to have their business listed within this website for state employees to view, simply by offering a discount. For more detailed information, please access the employee discount Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions, which is intended to assist all employees.

All businesses that wish to participate in this program must complete the STAR Employee Discount Program Vendor Application Form located on our website. Prior to submitting the form, all vendors must review the STAR Employee Discount policy. All appropriate businesses are encouraged to apply to be listed on this website.

Any arrangements, services or products purchased with this discount program are the sole responsibility of the individual employee. The State of Kansas and the STAR Program assume no obligation for these arrangements and do not endorse any of the organizations or their services, products or programs. All arrangements are strictly between the employee, as a consumer, and the vendor.

Employees must contact the vendor for any specific questions or concerns and for all customer service functions. Employees and Vendors may email comments or suggestions to: star@ks.gov.

Requirements for Receipt of Discount:

Vendors' requirements to receive discounts may vary and can include coupons, flyers, and/or presentation of your State of Kansas Employee ID card. Typically, all you have to do is present your State Employee ID card to receive your discount. In most instances, a valid State Employee ID card is the requirement for receipt of the discount; however, since there are some employees who do not have a State Employee ID card, a current print-out from the self-service website for your paycheck, or your Kansas Group Health Insurance card should be acceptable. If the discount is accessible online, the vendor should provide a special access code to the program coordinator or webmaster. If you do not have any identification at the time of purchase, the vendor may not honor the discount.

The overall program is administered by the Employee Recognition Committee. Vendors requesting information about the program should contact the STAR Coordinator. If you experience any difficulties with any discount or service, please contact the STAR Coordinator at star@ks.gov.

State of Kansas STAR Policy Statement:

The State of Kansas assumes no obligation or liability and does not endorse any product, service, discount or vendor. The STAR program reserves the right, without notice, to deny or revoke a vendor’s participation in the program. All vendors agree to all conditions set forth in the policy and any subsequent revisions.

A vendor may cancel its participation in the STAR program by submitting a written request to the STAR e-mail (star@ks.gov) or by completing the on-line vendor removal form. The State of Kansas STAR Employee Discount Program reserves right to cancel or remove a vendor from the program for any reason with or without notice.

All state employees are encouraged to shop and compare prices and services before purchasing, signing any contract, or making any arrangements. The State of Kansas and the STAR Program assume no responsibility for any arrangements, contracts, purchases, or disputes between an individual employee and any discount vendor. The State of Kansas STAR program does not negotiate, guarantee, or endorse discount vendors or discount prices and it is highly recommended that each employee research and compare prices, levels of service, and any licensing or certification requirements, as should be done when making any purchase.

Eligibility requirements are set forth by the discount vendor, but generally, all state employees within the Executive branch of government are eligible for these discounts. However, limitations on participation may exist for those specific employees directly and significantly involved in the procurement process. Such employees should consult their purchasing director for guidance.

Employees must consult the specific discount vendor for any proof of employment requirements or eligibility limitations. Some vendors may include retired employees as eligible.

All vendors and products or services must be appropriate and not of an offensive nature or promote hatred, violence, or intolerance, and not be political, religious, or pornographic or sexual in nature. No discount vendor offer shall be allowed to compete or conflict with any current State program.

Childcare discounts are subject to a separate agreement. Childcare vendors wishing to offer a discount must email the STAR Coordinator for more information.

All vendors must submit a valid application to be considered for listing within the STAR website located at http://oitsapps.ks.gov/da/ops/star/. The STAR Employee Discount website will be a central point for collecting and presenting all discount offers to state employees. The website will allow state employees access to the vendor's discount offer. This in no way constitutes an endorsement for any vendor.

Disclaimers:

Disclaimer of Endorsement

The State of Kansas does not endorse or affirm the quality of products or services provided by STAR Program vendors. The State of Kansas provides a listing of discount programs offered by local businesses. The information contained in this web site is believed to be reliable and while every effort is made to assure that the information is as accurate as possible, the State of Kansas at no time endorses nor recommends any specific commercial products, process, or services by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, and does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the State.

Those persons who access this information assume full responsibility for the use of said information, understand, and agree that the State of Kansas is not responsible or liable for any claim, loss or damage arising from the use of any information contained in this site. The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the state of the linked websites, or the information, products, or services contained therein.

Selected content on the STAR website is freely available. We do not claim this information as our own. If, for any reason, we provide information that is copyrighted, please let us know so that we can delete the content from our site.

Disclaimer of Liability:
With respect to documents available from this site, neither the state nor any of its employees, makes any warranty, expressed or implied, including the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights.

Pop-Up Advertisements:
When visiting the STAR website, your web browser may produce pop-up advertisements. These advertisements were most likely produced by other websites you visited or by third-party software installed on your computer. The State of Kansas does not endorse nor recommend products or services for which you may view a pop-up advertisement on your computer screen while visiting our site.

Kansas Vendor Page:

All vendors must read the following text, prior to proceeding to the application link at the bottom of the page.

Please note: We are not accepting Web Only vendors at this time.

This application and any subsequent approval or disapproval of this application shall not be viewed or used as a state contract. The State of Kansas assumes no obligation or liability and does not endorse any of the products, services, or discount vendors. The STAR program reserves the right to revoke, deny, or disapprove any application based on STAR Employee Discount Program policy. By submitting this application, the vendor is: (1) agreeing to all conditions set forth in this application and the STAR Employee Discount Program policy; (2) attesting to the nature of all statements and information provided within this application as factual; (3) affirming that the discount offer is an added value or actual discount on products or services; and (4) affirming that the business is legally recognized by the State of Kansas and any products or services offered at a discount to state employees are of an appropriate nature as defined by the STAR Committee.

If the application is approved, the STAR program agrees to place a link to the vendor website or list the discount offer within the Department of Administration's STAR Employee Discount Program website for state employees to access. The posting period will be effective until the STAR program is notified. A Vendor Removal Form may be submitted if the vendor wishes to cancel the offer at any time. At any time and for any reason the STAR program reserves the right to remove or modify any content on its website.

If the application is approved, the vendor agrees to:

Comply with the STAR Employee Discount Program Policy:

• At no time initiate unsolicited contact, in any medium, with state employees at work locations.
• Handle all customer service functions relating to the discount for state employees and promptly resolve customer complaints.
• Make the offer available to ALL state employees (please list any and all requested limitations or restrictions on the application).
• Keep the STAR Coordinator updated with any potential changes that may affect the discount offer to state employees.
• Provide a website link or one-page document that will have all pertinent discount information, including applicable pricing or examples, contact and customer service information, company name and address or location(s), any employment verification requirements, passwords or account numbers, and any limitations or restrictions that apply to the offer.

If you have any questions on the STAR Employee Discount Program or need assistance with any portion of this application, please email star@ks.gov  

Proceed to Vendor Application Form