Effective July 1, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) determined a final rule that increases the minimum salary threshold (known as the Salary Level Test) for Exempt (not eligible for overtime) employees. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Salary Level Test is one of three requirements to qualify for an Exempt classification. In addition to the upcoming change, the DOL has set future increases through year 2027:

1. Effective July 1, 2024: The minimum salary for Exempt employees is $3,657.33/Mon ($43,888/Year).  The minimum pay rate for an Exempt RCUH employee (regardless of FTE) will be $3,658.00/month.
2. Effective January 1, 2025: The minimum salary for Exempt employees will increase again to $4,888/Mon ($58,656/Year). 
3. Effective July 1, 2027: The DOL will determine the minimum salary based off data at that time and will require salary thresholds to be updated every three years.

In response to this ruling, the RCUH Exempt Pay Schedule has been updated to ensure compliance with the new regulations. At this time, there are no changes to the Non-Exempt Pay Schedule. Any new recruitments must conform with the updated pay schedule. We have identified and are working directly with Principal Investigators (PIs) regarding impacted Exempt employees. PIs have an option to either:

1. Provide a pay adjustment to meet the minimum salary threshold
2. Convert FLSA status from Exempt to Non-Exempt (eligible for overtime for hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week)

Since the announcement of the final rule in April 2024, lawsuits have been filed against the DOL from organizations and business groups challenging the salary threshold increases. It is important to plan accordingly despite the legal climate. PIs should take this information into consideration while budgeting and planning for current staff and future staffing.

The July 1, 2024 salary threshold impacts a minimal population of current Exempt employees. However, these employees may not meet the new minimum of their applicable pay range. No immediate action is needed from PIs to address the misalignment, since the salary level will increase again in January, unless it is to address pay equity from a newly posted recruitment.

The January 1, 2025 increase is a substantial increase and will have an effect on a larger population of Exempt employees. The RCUH Exempt Pay Schedule will once again be adjusted to ensure compliance to the scheduled increase. We recognize that this is a short window to adjust to the change. RCUH Human Resources is committed to work with PIs to provide solutions and guidance and will continue to assess and determine best practices, while ensuring compliance with applicable Federal and State regulations. For more information, please refer to the DOL Final Rule and Frequently Asked Questions.

If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Lin at (808) 956-7106 or [email protected].  

TO:                 Principal Investigators, Supervisors, and Project Administrators

This is a reminder that the performance evaluations are due by Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Click here to access the form:

• RCUH Performance Evaluation Form

Pursuant to 3.410 RCUH 12-Month/Needs Based Performance Evaluations, all Regular-Status employees must receive an Annual Performance Evaluation. Please submit Performance Evaluations via the Project electronic upload (eUpload) feature in the HR Portal. Instructions for submitting the evaluations via eUpload are attached here.

The online PA/PAF (Pay Award/Personnel Action Form) to submit pay actions (award or adjustment) will be available via HR Portal from June 24 through July 10 for an effective date of July 1, 2024. We will provide an update once this is available.

Note for projects that follow the Federal fiscal year: Since the evaluation period is October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024, evaluations will be due with a later deadline. A second round of the online PA/PAF application will be available in September for pay increases or one-time payments with an effective date of October 1, 2024. Additional information will be provided at a later date.

Please contact RCUH Human Resources if you have any questions regarding the Performance Evaluation process at (808) 956-7106 or [email protected]

TO:                 Principal Investigators, Supervisors, and Project Administrators

The 2024 RCUH Performance Evaluation Form is now available online. Click here to access the form:

• RCUH Performance Evaluation Form

Pursuant to 3.410 RCUH 12-Month/Needs Based Performance Evaluations, all Regular-Status employees must receive an Annual Performance Evaluation.

Minor edits have been made to the Performance Evaluation Form based off valuable feedback:

• “Merit” definition change
• Job Competency: Safety Awareness > Safety Compliance
• Section 2: Employee Performance/Job Competencies Narrative: included option to provide feedback on “opportunities for development”

Submission of Performance Evaluations: Please submit Performance Evaluations via the Project electronic upload (eUpload) feature in the HR Portal. Click here for Instructions for submitting the evaluations via eUpload.

Deadline to submit Performance Evaluations: June 19, 2024 (Wednesday)

Note for projects that follow the Federal fiscal year: Since the evaluation period is October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024, evaluations will be due with a later deadline. A second round of the online PA/PAF application will be available in September for pay increases or one-time payments with an effective date of October 1, 2024. Additional information will be provided at a later date.

Performance management (e.g., planning, coaching, evaluating, addressing performance issues) is an essential part of a supervisor’s responsibilities.  Performance evaluations are used as a tool to measure an employee’s performance, provide valuable feedback and suggestions for improvement, and motivate employees for growth and/or career advancement. There is no “one size fits all” solution for effective performance management. If you’d like to discuss performance management strategies, please contact Kira Higa, Director of Human Resources at [email protected].

Please contact RCUH Human Resources if you have any questions regarding the Performance Evaluation process at (808) 956-7106 or [email protected].

To: RCUH Principal Investigators and Project Staff

The RCUH Human Resources Recruitment Team is hosting an informative online session on Thursday, April 25, 2024 at 10:00am (HST).  Join us for some helpful tips and hear about recent updates to ensure a smooth recruitment process.  Attendees will be provided with a summarized Recruitment Reference Guide.  Topics will include:

• General Overview of the Recruitment Process
• How to Submit & New Features on the Recruitment Request
• Next Steps After a Position is Posted
• Other Recruitment Processes
• Q&A

Principal Investigators and primary RCUH project representatives are welcome to join.  Whether you are new to the recruitment process or haven’t submitted a request in a while, this refresher will offer insights and takeaways for your next recruitment.  Over the past few years, Recruitment has focused on streamlining procedures by updating processes based on feedback from projects.  Our goals are to offer tips for a smooth recruitment, share updates on our processes, and to strengthen our project relationship. 

WEBINAR REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!  Please click this link to register.  Registration will close at 2:00pm (HST) on Monday, April 22, 2024.  

Check out our refreshed Careers page, which has replaced our previous Job Postings, Application Instructions, and FAQ’s pages, under the Work column of our RCUH home page.  Applicants can learn what it means to work at RCUH, as well as review our job listings and frequently asked questions all in one location.  

If you have any questions, please contact RCUH Recruitment at [email protected].

You can now add reminders to your email calendar for upcoming RCUH ePAF and Payroll Deadlines for the calendar year 2024. You may edit these calendar reminders as necessary to fit your project’s needs and deadlines. Please click on the links below for the calendar invitations:

• ePAF Deadlines
• Payroll Deadlines

If you need any assistance with adding these dates to your calendars, please click here for instructions.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact RCUH HRIS at [email protected] or 808-956-8900.

To: All Active/Terminated RCUH Employees, Principal Investigators, Project Staff, Fiscal Administrators

Two-factor authentication is coming to the Human Resources Portal and Employee Self-Service on Friday, February 23, 2024. By implementing two-factor authentication, we are aiming to increase the security of our systems and to provide protection for the sensitive data found in these portals. Please refer to this news announcement for more information.

In preparation for this, RCUH Human Resources will begin removing user IDs in the following situations:

• Employees who have terminated and haven’t been paid through RCUH for 18 months or longer
• Human Resources Portal users who are only on inactive Distribution Codes, or are on active Distribution Codes but haven’t logged in to the Human Resources Portal and/or Employee Self-Service for 18 months or longer

This will only impact user IDs that are used to login to the Human Resources Portal and/or Employee Self-Service. This process will continue to be done on a quarterly basis.

If there are any questions or concerns, please contact RCUH HR Information Systems via phone (808-956-8900) or email ([email protected]).

All RCUH Human Resources online systems will be tentatively be down on the following Saturdays, from 5:00 AM (HST) to 10:00 AM (HST) for system maintenance.

Tentative Dates (Saturdays at 5:00 AM (HST) – 10:00 AM (HST)):

January 27, 2024	July 27, 2024
February 24, 2024	August 31, 2024
March 30, 2024	September 28, 2024
April 27, 2024	October 26, 2024
May 25, 2024	November 30, 2024
June 29, 2024	December 28, 2024

The maintenance will include:

• Human Resources Portal
• Employee Self Service (ESS)
• Careers/Recruiting
• New Hire Documents (EHS)

We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause. This schedule is subject to change.

If you have any questions, please contact RCUH HR at (808) 956-8900 or [email protected].

TO:                 Principal Investigators, Project Staff, and Fiscal Administrators

Effective January 1, 2024, the Hawai‘i State Minimum Wage will increase from $12.00 per hour to $14.00

per hour. There are subsequent increases to the minimum wage through the year 2028 as outlined below:

Effective Date	Minimum Wage
January 1, 2026	$16.00 per hour
January 1, 2028	$18.00 per hour

As a result, RCUH will implement the below changes to remain in compliance and maintain labor market competitiveness.

Student Assistant Pay Schedule and Non-Recruited Employees (Intermittent and Temporary status):

Historically, the RCUH Student Assistant Pay Schedule aligns with the University of Hawai‘i (UH) Student Pay Schedule. The new minimum pay rate at the entry level (A1-1) is $14.50/hour. Effective January 1, 2024, RCUH will adjust pay rates for all active Student Assistants, in accordance with their current pay grade and step. No action is needed from the PIs/projects.

The established Student Assistant Pay Schedule reflects pay rates for subsequent changes in 2026 and 2028. Similar notices and actions regarding the pay adjustment process will be communicated and initiated to comply with the pay schedule. 

All Non-Recruited employees (Intermittent and Temporary status) must be compensated at least $14.50 per hour, consistent with the minimum pay rate for Regular-Status employees and Student Assistants.

RCUH Human Resources will identify current Non-Recruited employees who are making below $14.50 per hour and work with the Principal Investigators to adjust their pay rates to ensure compliance with the new minimum pay rate.

Regular-Status Pay Schedule (Non-Exempt and Exempt):

RCUH Human Resources has reviewed and adjusted the Regular-Status Non-Exempt and Exempt Pay Schedule in relation to the January 1, 2024 minimum wage increase. Please refer to policy 3.330 RCUH Pay Schedules for the updated pay schedule. Compliance with the updated Pay Schedule will be implemented in two phases:

1. Effective January 1, 2024:
   1. Current employees: All Regular-Status employees earning less than $14.50 per hour must receive a pay adjustment to meet the new minimum pay rate on the pay schedule. RCUH Human Resources will identify current employees who are making below $14.50 per hour and work with the Principal Investigators to adjust their pay rates to ensure compliance with the new minimum pay rate.
   1. Pending recruitments and new hires: All new hires must conform with the new minimums of the applicable job’s pay range.

• Principal Investigators with current employees making above minimum pay rate, but, do not currently meet the new minimum of their job’s applicable pay range will have the following options:
  • Provide equity adjustment for current employee upon recruitment for additional position (new hires will be subject to the updated pay schedule).
  • Effective no later than January 31, 2025: If no additional positions are recruited for, PIs will have until January 31, 2025 to provide a pay adjustment to employees to meet the new minimum of the pay range.
  • Should Principal Investigators have budgetary constraints, they may request that the employee’s job description be re-evaluated to a lower pay range or converted to a Non-Exempt (eligible for overtime) status.

Please contact the staff below if you have any questions:

• Jennifer Lin: [email protected]
• Sharon Vong: [email protected]

All RCUH Human Resources online systems will be down on Saturday, 12/09/23 at 7:00 AM (HST) to 1:00 PM (HST) for system maintenance.

The maintenance will include:

• Human Resources Portal
• Employee Self Service (ESS)
• Careers/Recruiting
• New Hire Documents (EHS)

We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause.

If you have any questions, please contact RCUH HR Information Systems at (808) 956-8900 or [email protected].

TO:         All Principal Investigators Employing RCUH Regular Salaried Employees

Governor Josh Green has issued an Executive Memorandum authorizing eight (8) hours of administrative leave for Regular-Salaried employees on December 22 or December 29, 2023.  Pursuant to the Governor’s and UH President’s memo, RCUH Executive Director Leonard Gouveia has authorized the following:

1. Regular, Full-Time, salaried employees will be given administrative leave with pay on December 22 or December 29, 2023.  Part-Time, salaried employees shall be granted a proportionate amount, based off their Full-Time Equivalency (FTE), of administrative leave from their scheduled working time.  For example, a Part-Time salaried employee at 50% FTE is entitled to four (4) hours of administrative leave.
2. The leave must be taken all at once on either day and shall not be split in any manner.
3. Employees paid on an hourly basis (not on a monthly salary) and employees on suspension or leave without pay status on both days are not entitled to administrative leave.
4. It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to ensure that arrangements for administrative leave are fairly applied to all eligible employees.
5. Eligible employees required to work on December 22 and December 29 shall be given equivalent administrative time off at some other date determined by the Principal Investigator. This leave must be used no later than January 5, 2024.
6. Eligible employees on vacation or sick leave on December 22 and/or 29 should charge only the hours in excess of their applicable administrative leave. However, if adjustment to vacation credits would result in forfeiture, the employees should be allowed equivalent administrative leave off on other dates as determined by the Principal Investigator, not to be applied after January 5, 2024.

Despite the granting of administrative leave, the Governor reminded all Department Heads that the offices should be adequately staffed on December 22 and December 29 to provide necessary service to the public between the hours of 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Principal Investigators whose projects service the public should take appropriate steps to ensure compliance with this requirement.

Time Reporting: On the RCUH eTimesheet, please report Administrative Leave hours using the Holiday Administrative Leave with Pay Code “ADM” available as a drop-down option on the “Leave/Other Codes” row.

Please remember, the RCUH Core Offices will be closed all day on Monday, December 25, 2023 and January 1, 2024. RCUH will reopen for business on December 26, 2023 and January 2, 2024.

Any questions regarding this memo may be addressed to Director of Human Resources Kira Higa at [email protected].

Attachments:

Executive Memorandum (Memo No. 2023-09)

President Lassner’s Memo