The Resource

Volume 13 Issue 12
December 22, 2010

ELECTRONIC W-2 FORMS for 2010

The 2010 Wage and Tax Statements (W-2 form) for RCUH employees with taxable earnings in 2010 are scheduled to be distributed at the end of January 2011.  This year, an electronic version of the form will be available online on the RCUH Employee Self-Service (ESS) system.

 

We believe that this will be a great convenience to all of our employees.  There will be no waiting to receive your W-2 form through the mail, no lost W-2 forms and no panic on April 15^th when you can’t remember where you filed your W-2 form!

 

Please be on the lookout for e-mails which will provide you with pertinent information and instructions.

 

YEAR-END REMINDERS:  UPDATE PERSONAL INFORMATION AND TAX STATUS

Please verify your name, mailing address and e-mail information on the RCUH Employee Self Service (ESS) system to ensure that our records are accurate.  Your name and mailing address, as it appears on ESS, is what will appear on your 2010 Wage and Tax Statement (W-2 form).

 

The last date to submit changes is Tuesday, January 11, 2011.  Employees who wish to change their marital status and withholding allowances on Federal form W-4 or Hawaii State form HW-4 for the upcoming 2011 tax year may also do so on the RCUH Employee Self Service system. 

 

Please refer to the 2011 RCUH HR Personnel Action & Payroll Schedule for ESS blackout dates.

 

REMINDER: HEALTH INSURANCE (STUDENT DEPENDENTS)
RCUH requires all employees with dependent(s) between the ages of 19-24, to submit proof of full-time student status each Spring and Fall semester after their dependent(s) reaches the age of 19 in order to continue coverage under the RCUH’s group health plans. The certification required is a copy of the dependent’s college registration slip or class schedule. The registration slip (or class schedule) should clearly indicate the student’s name, name of the accredited college/university, and full-time status (defined as taking 12 or more credit hours per semester).

Mail to: RCUH Human Resources Office, 2530 Dole St., Sakamaki Hall D-100, Honolulu, HI  96822

Please attention the registration slip or class schedule to the “RCUH BENEFITS DEPARTMENT” for prompt review and to ensure that coverage is not cancelled. Failure to submit this certification by the deadline will result in IMMEDIATE CANCELLATION of your dependent’s coverage under RCUH’s group medical/dental plans (No Exceptions). Your dependent will then be given the option to continue his/her health insurance under COBRA, but will be required to pay 102% of the monthly premium (detailed information will be provided at that time). If you have any questions, please contact Kristen Stevens (808) 956-6979.

2011 MAXIMUM EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION LIMITS FOR 403(b) PLANS:

The maximum contribution limits (listed below) for those enrolled in a 403(b) Tax-Deferred Annuity (TDA) / Supplemental Retirement Annuity (SRA) plan will remain the same for the upcoming 2011 tax year. 

 

• $16,500 for employees under Age 50. 

 

• $22,000 for employees Age 50 or older. 

To Cancel/Change contributions, please complete a RCUH Agreement For Salary Reduction (ASR) form and submit it by Wednesday, December 22, 2010 to be effective December 16, 2010 (1^st pay period in the RCUH 2011 tax year).   As a reminder, changes to the TDA/SRA contributions may be changed at any time during the year with the submittal of a new ASR form.  

 

If you have any questions, please contact Kristen Stevens at (808) 956-6979.

 

Flexible Spending/Pre-Tax Transportation Plan Administration Change:

Effective January 1, 2011, the RCUH Flexible Spending Accounts will no longer be administered by Benefit Services of Hawaii, Inc. (BSHI).  Our new third-party administrator will be Total Administrative Services Corporation (TASC).  A notice was sent via email to all employees who are currently enrolled in the Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Medical Reimbursement, Dependent Care and/or the Pre-Tax Transportation (Parking) Account to provide additional information regarding claims processing procedures and administration details.

 

Participants should have now received their personalized reimbursement claim forms, a “TASC” debit card, and a PIN number to access the TASC website.  As a reminder, participants should start using the new “TASC” debit card beginning January 1, 2011 since the current “BENNY” debit cards will be inactivated on December 20, 2010 (black-out period will be from December 20-31, 2010).

 

Please contact Kristen Stevens at [email protected] or (808) 956-6979 with any questions or concerns about the change in TPAs.

 

Flexible Spending Medical Expense Reimbursement Accounts

As a reminder, effective January 1, 2011, Over-the-Counter (OTC) drugs must be prescribed by a physician to be considered an eligible expense. Participants should have received a notice from Benefit Services of Hawaii, Inc. (BSHI) with their Quarterly Year-to-Date Balance Statement reminding them of this important change. BSHI/TASC, nor RCUH, will be able to make any exceptions to this IRS regulation; thus, with nine (9) days left in the year, we ask that our employees act/plan accordingly for this change.  For more information regarding this change, go to the Health Care Reform Bill website at www.healthcare.gov.  

 

STUDENT VERIFICATION

All RCUH Students Assistants employees are responsible for submitting a Student Verification each Semester in order to qualify for continued student employment. For all University of Hawaii students (e.g., UH Manoa, UH Hilo, Honolulu Community College, Maui College, etc.), verification is not required, as RCUH has the ability to verify student status´ electronically through a UH database. However, verification is still needed for UH Outreach College and non-UH Schools (e.g., High School, Chaminade, HPU, etc.).

 

The following are acceptable forms of student verification:

a) Student registration or receipt

b) Letter of student registration from the registrar or counselor

c) Validated student I.D. card

d) Any other form of verification deemed acceptable by the Director of Human Resources

 

Continuation of student employment:  Project/Student must submit a Student Verification for the Spring 2011 semester by January 25, 2011.  Failure to submit student verification by the indicated deadline will result in termination of student employment.

 

Termination of student employment:  Student Assistants who no longer hold a student status must be terminated from RCUH due to their ineligibility (i.e. student graduation). Principal Investigators must initiate a termination action via the HRAP system by December 22, 2010.

 

Please contact Sharon Vong at [email protected] or (808)956-7307 if you have any questions.

 

TUITION REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM

Those who were approved for the Fall 2010 Tuition Reimbursement Program have 30 days after the semester ends to turn in copies of their grades and receipt of payment in order to be reimbursed. 

 

Anyone interested in participating in the Spring 2011 tuition reimbursement program should refer to the 3.460 RCUH Tuition Expense Reimbursement Policy. The required forms that are specified in the policy are due before the semester begins.

IMPORTANT Dates to Remember (January):

1/3	Payroll Deadline – 12:00 noon for PE 12/31/10
1/6-1/10	Web Time Preview 1
1/7	Pay Day
1/10	PAF Deadline
1/11	HRAMP Deadline
1/11-1/12	Web Time Preview 2
1/13-1/14	Web Time Input
1/17	HOLIDAY – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
1/18	Payroll Deadline – 12:00 noon for PE 1/15/11
1/21	Pay Day
1/21-1/25	Web Time Preview 1
1/25	PAF Deadline
1/26-1/27	Web Time Preview 2
1/26	HRAMP Deadline
1/28-1/31	Web Time Input

IMPORTANT Dates to Remember (February):

2/1	Payroll Deadline – 12:00 noon for PE 1/31/11
2/7	Pay Day
2/7-2/9	Web Time Preview 1
2/9	PAF Deadline
2/10	HRAMP Deadline
2/10-2/11	Web Time Preview 2
2/14-2/15	Web Time Input
2/16	Payroll Deadline– 12:00 noon for PE 2/15/11
2/17-2/22	Web Time Preview 1
2/21	HOLIDAY – President’s Day
2/22	Pay Day
2/22	PAF Deadline
2/23	HRAMP Deadline
2/23-2/24	Web Time Preview 2
2/25-2/28	Web Time Input

TIMESHEETS FOR THE MONTH OF December – January:
December 16-31

January 1-15

January 16-31

SSE Timesheet (Form D-9c)

2010 Personnel Action & Payroll Calendar (revised 10/2010)

2010 Special Check Calendar

 

2011 Personnel Action & Payroll Calendar

2011 Special Check Calendar

The Principal Investigator’s Corner

 

REMINDER:  IMPORTANT PAYROLL DATES FOR DECEMBER 2010

Special Check Run:  December 29, 2010 (Wednesday):

Deadline to submit requests for the December 29^th Special Check Run is Monday, December 27, 2010.  Please note that checks processed on this check run will be dated January 3, 2011 and are considered earnings for 2011.

 

Pay Period Ending 12/31/10:  January 3, 2011 (Monday) – 12:00 noon:

The payroll deadline for pay period ending 12/31/10 is 12:00 noon on Monday, January 3, 2011.  The HR AMP online timesheets will be available for input from Tuesday, December 28, 2010 through 12:00 noon on January 3, 2011.

 

FRINGE BENEFIT SCHEDULE Change Effective January 1, 2011:  Flexible Spending/Pre-Tax Transportation Administrative Fees

RCUH’s Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Third-Party Administrators (TPA) will change from Benefit Services of Hawaii, Inc. (BSHI) to Total Administrative Services Corporation (TASC) effective January 1, 2011.  Our FSA fringe benefit rate has been updated to reflect changes in administrative fees (see below) that are effective January 1, 2011. 

 

• For FSA Medical Expense and Dependent Care Reimbursement accounts, the monthly administrative fee will decrease from $4.00 to $3.50 per month/per participant and there will no longer be a fee of $2.00 per month/per participant for the FSA Medical Expense debit (“BENNY”) card. 
• For Pre-Tax Transportation Qualified Parking Accounts, there will be an administrative fee of $3.50 per month/per participant (previously no charge). 

The RCUH Policy 3.510 RCUH Fringe Benefits Schedule has been updated with the above changes.

 

To:  RCUH Employees

 

Your pay statement for the 11/22/2010 payday (11/01 – 11/15/2010 pay period) is now available on the RCUH Employee Self Service (ESS) system.  RCUH employees who reported time for the above period, and had their timesheets submitted on time, may now view their pay statements online.

 

Starting today, you will find your pay statement in a new, easily-printable .pdf format.  All of the same information is still available, but in a more presentable format.    Pay statements prior to the 11/22/10 payday, however, will only be available in the existing format.

 

 

If you are experiencing difficulties bringing up your .pdf pay advice, please disable the pop-up blocker on your browser.  On Internet Explorer, for example, the pop-up blocker may be accessed under Tools > Pop-up Blocker.  If you do not wish to turn off the pop-up blocker for all sites, please select Pop-up Blocker Setting and just allow pop-ups from the address hrweb.rcuh.com.

Should you have questions regarding the hours or wages that you were paid, please check with your Principal Investigator or project administrative staff.

 

 

For other payroll assistance, please contact the RCUH Payroll Staff at [email protected].

Mahalo!

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that the filing fees for immigration benefits and services will change effective November 23, 2010.  See New Application and Petition Fees Go Into Effect on Nov. 23, 2010, on the USCIS homepage for more information.

 

The following are the new fees applicable to the visa petitions filed by RCUH on or after 11/23/2010:

 

Type of Petition	Current Filing Fee (through 11/22/10)	New Filing Fee (as of 11/23/10)
H-1B or TN for Individual	$320.00	$325.00
Dependents of H-1B or TN	$300.00	$290.00
Premium Processing Fee	$1,000.00	$1,225.00

 

Note:  The H-1B Fraud Fee for new H-1B petitions remains the same at $500.00.

 

Applicable forms and instructions have been revised and are available online under the Policies & Procedures, I. Addendum to the 3.210 Employing People through RCUH.

 

Please contact Janet Zukemura at [email protected] or (808) 956-0871 if you have any questions.

The Resource

Volume 13 Issue 11
November 22, 2010

 

IMPORTANT YEAR-END REMINDERS

Believe it or not, the end of the year is only a little over a month away!   A few reminders for all employees:

 

(1)                  Update Personal Information: 

Please take the time now to verify your name, mailing address and e-mail information via the RCUH Employee Self Service (ESS) system to ensure that our records are accurate.  Your name and mailing address, as it appears on ESS, is what will appear on your 2010 Wage and Tax Statement (W-2 form) which will be available in January 2011.

 

If changes are required, please update your information through our ESS system by Sunday, December 26, 2010.   The following blackout dates are when the ESS system is NOT available for changes (though available for viewing) due to payroll processing:

ESS Blackout Periods for the remainder of 2010:

11/25/10 – 12/03/10

12/13/10 – 12/20/10

12/27/10 – 1/05/11

 

Please remember that an incorrect mailing address may cause a delay in the delivery of your W-2 form.  There is also a $10.00 reissue fee which will be assessed to you if another paper W-2 form is requested.

 

To access the ESS system, please click on the Employee Self-Service link located on the left side of our home page at www.rcuh.com.  For questions regarding your ESS login or password, please e-mail [email protected].

 

(2)       Review Final Pay Check for 2010:

Please review your paycheck information on ESS to make sure that your pay and tax information is correct.  The 12/01 – 12/15/10 pay period is the last pay period in 2010; all adjustments must be posted by then to be reflected on your 2010 W-2 form.

 

Please contact your Principal Investigator or Project Administrator immediately if corrections are required.

 

(3)       Change in Tax Status:

Please review your marital status and withholding allowances for 2011 on the W-4 form (for Federal Income Taxes) and HW-4 form (for Hawaii State Income Taxes) in ESS.  Changes to tax status and allowances may be completed at any time during the year, but too much or too little tax withholdings during the year may result in large refunds or large “out-of-pocket” payments (often with penalties) come April.

 

(4)       Employees with special tax situations (e.g. W-4 exemptions, tax treaty exemptions) may be asked to renew tax documents for 2011.  Notification e-mails will be sent to applicable employees.

RCUH Vacation Policy allows you only a limited amount of hours to be carried over into the next year.  The number of hours depends on what Vacation Plan you are on (A or B).  You have up to the last working day in December (12/30/2010) to use any “excess vacation hours” or risk forfeiting these hours.  The end of the year is fast approaching with only 26 working days remaining. 

 

989 employees were sent second (and final) Vacation Reminder Notices on/around 11/02/2010.  Excess vacation hours were noted on the notice.  If these hours are not used on/before December 30^th, they will be FORFEITED (NO EXCEPTIONS).  If you are in jeopardy of losing vacation this year, talk to your Principal Investigator (or supervisor) immediately.  Contact Jill Niitani at [email protected] if you have any questions.

 

Flexible Spending/Pre-Tax Transportation Plan Administration Change:

Effective January 1, 2011, the RCUH Flexible Spending Accounts will no longer be administered by Benefit Services of Hawaii, Inc. (BSHI).  Our new third-party administrator (TPA) will be Total Administrative Services Corporation (TASC).  A notice has been sent (via email) to all employees who are currently enrolled in the Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Medical Reimbursement, Dependent Care and/or the Pre-Tax Transportation (Parking) Account to provide additional information regarding claims processing procedures and administration details. Participants may contact Kristen Stevens at [email protected] or (808) 956-6979 if they have any questions or concerns about the change in TPAs.

 

Flexible Spending Medical Expense Reimbursement Accounts

As a reminder, effective January 1, 2011, Over-the-Counter (OTC) drugs must be prescribed by a physician to be considered an eligible expense. Participants should have received a notice from Benefit Services of Hawaii, Inc. (BSHI) with their Quarterly Year-to-Date Balance Statement reminding them of this important change. BSHI/TASC, nor RCUH, will be able to make any exceptions to this IRS regulation; thus, with one (1) month left in the year, we ask that our employees act/plan accordingly for this change.  For more information regarding this change, go to the Health Care Reform Bill website at www.healthcare.gov.  

 

REMINDER: HEALTH INSURANCE (STUDENT DEPENDENTS)
RCUH requires all employees with dependent(s) between the ages of 19-24, to submit proof of full-time student status each Spring and Fall semester after their dependent(s) reaches the age of 19 in order to continue coverage under the RCUH’s group health plans. The certification required is a copy of the dependent’s college registration slip or class schedule. The registration slip (or class schedule) should clearly indicate the student’s name, name of the accredited college/university, and full-time status (defined as taking 12 or more credit hours per semester).

Mail to: RCUH Human Resources Office, 2530 Dole St., Sakamaki Hall D-100, Honolulu, HI  96822

Please attention the registration slip or class schedule to the “RCUH BENEFITS DEPARTMENT” for prompt review and to ensure that coverage is not cancelled. Failure to submit this certification by the deadline will result in IMMEDIATE CANCELLATION of your dependent’s coverage under RCUH’s group medical/dental plans (No Exceptions). Your dependent will then be given the option to continue his/her health insurance under COBRA, but will be required to pay 102% of the monthly premium (detailed information will be provided at that time). If you have any questions, please contact Kristen Stevens at [email protected] or (808) 956-6979.

 

STUDENT VERIFICATION

All RCUH Students Assistants employees are responsible for submitting a Student Verification each Semester in order to qualify for continued student employment. For all University of Hawaii students (eg: UH Manoa, UH Hilo, Honolulu Community College, Maui College, etc.), verification is not required, as RCUH has the ability to verify student status´ electronically through a UH database. However, verification is still needed for UH Outreach College and non-UH Schools (i.e. High School, Chaminade, HPU, etc).

 

The following are acceptable forms of student verification:

a) Student registration or receipt

b) Letter of student registration from the registrar or counselor

c) Validated student I.D. card

d) Any other form of verification deemed acceptable by the Director of Human Resources

 

Continuation of student employment:  Project/Student must submit a Student Verification for the Spring 2011 semester by January 25, 2011.  Failure to submit student verification by the indicated deadline will result in termination of student employment.

 

Termination of student employment:  Student Assistants who no longer hold a student status must be terminated from RCUH due to their ineligibility (i.e. student graduation). Principal Investigators must initiate a termination action via the HRAP system by December 22, 2010.

 

Please contact Sharon Vong at [email protected] or (808)956-7307 if you have any questions.

 

 

IMPORTANT Dates to Remember (December):

12/1	Payroll Deadline – 12:00 noon for PE 11/30/10
12/7	Pay Day
12/7-12/9	Web Time Preview 1
12/9	PAF Deadline
12/10	HRAMP Deadline
12/10-12/13	Web Time Preview 2
12/14-12/15	Web Time Input
12/16	Payroll Deadline – 12:00 noon for PE 12/15/10
12/20-12/22	Web Time Preview 1
12/22	Pay Day
12/22	PAF Deadline
12/23	HRAMP Deadline
12/24	HOLIDAY – Christmas Day
12/23-12/27	Web Time Preview 2
12/28-1/02	Web Time Input
12/31	HOLIDAY – New Year’s Day

 

IMPORTANT Dates to Remember (January):

1/3	Payroll Deadline – 12:00 noon for PE 12/31/10
1/6-1/10	Web Time Preview 1
1/7	Pay Day
1/10	PAF Deadline
1/11	HRAMP Deadline
1/11-1/12	Web Time Preview 2
1/13-1/14	Web Time Input
1/17	HOLIDAY – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
1/18	Payroll Deadline – 12:00 noon for PE 1/15/11
1/21	Pay Day
1/21-1/25	Web Time Preview 1
1/25	PAF Deadline
1/26-1/27	Web Time Preview 2
1/26	HRAMP Deadline
1/28-1/31	Web Time Input

TIMESHEETS FOR THE MONTH OF November – December:
November 16-30

December 1-15

December 16-31

SSE Timesheet (Form D-9c)

2010 Personnel Action & Payroll Calendar (revised 10/2010)

2010 Special Check Calendar

 

2011 Personnel Action & Payroll Calendar

2011 Special Check Calendar

The Principal Investigator’s Corner

DECEMBER PAYROLL DEADLINES

Though we are still in November, please note the following important payroll deadlines for December 2010.  In particular, please note that the payroll deadline for the 12/16 – 12/31/10 pay period, originally noted as 12/30/10, has now been extended until Monday, January 3, 2011.

 

(1)       December 10, 2010 (Friday):  Deadline for all retroactive payroll correction and adjustment requests for 2010.  Pay period ending 12/15/10 is the last payroll in 2010 and the last chance for retroactive payroll adjustments to be processed in the current payroll year.  Any adjustments posted after pay period ending 12/15/10 will be considered 2011 earnings/adjustments and will NOT be included in the employee’s W-2 form for 2010.

 

(2)       December 16, 2009 (Thursday) – 12:00 noon:  Payroll deadline for the 12/01 – 12/15/10 pay period

 

(3)       December 29, 2010 (Wednesday):  Last Special Check Run for 2010.  Please be sure to submit Special Check Run requests by end-of-day on Monday, December 27, 2010.  Please note that checks processed on this check run will be dated January 3, 2011 and are considered earnings for 2011.

 

(4)        January 3, 2011 (Monday) – 12:00 noon:  Because the 2011 New Year’s Holiday is being observed on Friday, December 31, 2010, we are able to extend the payroll deadline for pay period ending 12/31/10 until 12:00 noon on Monday, January 3, 2011.  The HR AMP online timesheets will be available for input from Tuesday, December 28, 2010 through 12:00 noon on January 3, 2011.

 

All other deadlines for the pay period will remain as is.

 

Though the UH Manoa campus will be closed from December 18 through January 2 for the Manoa Green Days Initiative, the RCUH Human Resources will be operating as normal from December 20 – December 23 and December 27 – December 30.

 

Should you have any questions, please email us at [email protected].

FRINGE BENEFIT SCHEDULE Change Effective January 1, 2011:  Flexible Spending/Pre-Tax Transportation Administrative Fees

RCUH’s Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Third-Party Administrators (TPA) will change from Benefit Services of Hawaii, Inc. (BSHI) to Total Administrative Services Corporation (TASC) effective January 1, 2011.  Our FSA fringe benefit rate has been updated to reflect changes in administrative fees (see below) that are effective January 1, 2011. 

 

• For FSA Medical Expense and Dependent Care Reimbursement accounts, the monthly administrative fee will decrease from $4.00 to $3.50 per month/per participant and there will no longer be a fee of $2.00 per month/per participant for the FSA Medical Expense debit (“BENNY”) card. 
• For Pre-Tax Transportation Qualified Parking Accounts, there will be an administrative fee of $3.50 per month/per participant (previously no charge). 

 

The RCUH Policy 3.510 RCUH Fringe Benefits Schedule has been updated with the above changes.

 USCIS ANNOUNCES CHANGE IN IMMIGRATION APPLICATION FILING FEES EFFECTIVE

 NOVEMBER 23, 2010

Effective November 23, 2010, filing fees for certain applications/petitions will change. The filing fee that is most applicable to the RCUH is for the Form I-129 (e.g., H-1B, TN, E3), which will increase from $320 to $325.  

The following chart lists the adjusted fees that will take effect on November 23, 2010:

Form No.	Application/ Petition Description	Existing Fees (effective through Nov. 22, 2010)	Adjusted Fees (effective beginning Nov. 23, 2010)
I-90	Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card	$290	$365
I-102	Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document	$320	$330
I-129/129CW	Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker	$320	$325
I-129F	Petition for Alien Fiancé(e)	$455	$340
I-130	Petition for Alien Relative	$320	$420
I-131	Application for Travel Document	$305	$360
I-140	Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker	$475	$580
I-485	Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status	$930	$985
I-539	Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status	$300	$290
I-751	Petition to Remove the Conditions of Residence	$465	$505
I-765	Application for Employment Authorization	$340	$380
N-400	Application for Naturalization	$595	$595

The USCIS website lists all of the fees (most unchanged):  http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=92c5e116de9eb210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=5b33aca797e63110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD

If you have any questions, please contact Janet Zukemura at (808) 956-0871 or [email protected].

 

To:  Principal Investigators, Fiscal Officers and Project Administrators:

Subject:  Important Payroll Deadlines for December 2010

 

(1)  December 10, 2010 (Friday):  Deadline for retroactive payroll correction and adjustment requests for 2010.  Pay period ending 12/15/10 is the last payroll in 2010 and the last chance for adjustments to be processed in the current payroll year.  Adjustments posted after pay period ending 12/15/10 will be considered 2011 earnings/adjustments and will NOT be included in the employee’s W-2 form for 2010.

(2)  December 16, 2009 (Thursday) – 12:00 noon:  Payroll deadline for the 12/01 – 12/15/10 pay period

(3)  December 29, 2010 (Wednesday):  Last Special Check Run for 2010.  Deadline for Special Check Run requests is on Monday, December 27, 2010.  Please note that checks processed on this check run will be dated January 3, 2011 and are considered earnings for 2011.

(4)  January 3, 2011 (Monday) – 12:00 noon:  The payroll deadline for pay period ending 12/31/10 has been extended to 12:00 noon on Monday, January 3, 2011.  The HR AMP online timesheets will be available for input from Tuesday, December 28, 2010 through 12:00 noon on January 3, 2011.    All other deadlines for the pay period will remain as is.

Though the UH Manoa campus will be closed from December 18 through January 2, the RCUH Human Resources office will be operating as normal from December 20 – December 23 and December 27 – December 30.

Should you have any questions, please email us at [email protected].

To:  RCUH Employees:

Subject:  Year-End Reminders

 

(1)          Update Personal Information

 

Please verify your name, mailing address and e-mail information via the RCUH Employee Self Service (ESS) system to ensure that our records are accurate.  Your name and mailing address, as it appears on ESS, is what will appear on your 2010 Wage and Tax Statement (W-2 form) which will be available in January 2011.

 

Any changes should be completed in ESS by Sunday, December 26, 2010.   Please refer to the 2010 RCUH HR Personnel Action & Payroll Schedule for ESS blackout dates.

 

(2)          Review Pay Statements

 

Please review your paycheck information on ESS to make sure that your pay and tax information is correct.  The 12/01 – 12/15/10 pay period is the last pay period in 2010; all adjustments must be posted by then to be reflected on your 2010 W-2 form.  Please contact your Principal Investigator or Project Administrator immediately if corrections are required.

 

(3)          W-4 Exemptions for 2011

 

Employees who claimed an exemption from Federal Income Tax withholdings on their W-4 form in 2010 must submit another W-4 form for 2011 via ESS by February 16, 2011.   Please make sure that the year indicated is 2011.  Applicable employees will also be notified of this IRS requirement by email in December and January.

 

(4)          Tax Status and Withholdings

 

Employees who wish to change their marital status and withholding allowances on Federal form W-4 or Hawaii State form HW-4 for the upcoming 2011 tax year may do so on the ESS after January 1, 2011.

 

To access the RCUH ESS system, please click on the “Employee Self-Service” link from the RCUH home page at www.rcuh.com.

 

For questions regarding your ESS login or password, please e-mail [email protected].

 

For payroll related questions, please e-mail the RCUH Payroll staff at [email protected].

 

Attention all RCUH Flexible Spending Account Participants:

Effective January 1, 2011, the RCUH Flexible Spending Accounts will be administered by Total Administrative Services Corporation (TASC), a Third-Party Administrator (TPA). We will be emailing a notice to all employees who are currently enrolled in either the Flexible Spending Medical Reimbursement Account and/or the Dependent Care Account to provide additional information about the claims processing procedures and administration.  Please note that your“BENNY” debit card will be deactivated on December 20, 2010 and will be replaced with a “TASC” debit card effective January 1, 2011.

 

 

Attention all RCUH Principal Investigators:

With the change in the Flexible Spending Account administration, there will be a decrease in our Flexible Spending Account fringe benefit rate.  The monthly Administrative fee will decrease from $4.00 to $3.50 per month and there will no longer be a fee of $2.00 per debit card effective January 1, 2011.  Additionally, the Administrative fee of $3.50 per month will apply to Pre-Tax Transportation Qualified Parking Accounts effective January 1, 2011. 

 

The RCUH Policy 3.510 RCUH Fringe Benefits Schedule has been updated with the above changes.

TO:  Principal Investigators:

 

REMINDER:  RCUH is currently accepting Nominations for the Outstanding Employee of the Year.

 

DEADLINE to submit your nomination(s) is November 19, 2010.

 

2 NOMINATION CATEGORIES (Maximum of 2 nominees per category):

 

1.  Outstanding Researcher/Project Manager/Professional (Exempt status position)

2.  Outstanding Project Support Staff (Non-Exempt status position)

 

Click here for the nomination form

 

For more information on the program, please refer to policy 3.450 Outstanding Employee of the Year Award.

Click here for previous announcement.

To:       All RCUH Principal Investigators and Employees

The Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii (RCUH) is pleased to announce that we will be providing a new service to employees facing or contemplating a change in careers or a termination of employment.  The “Career Transition and Outreach Workshop” is a one-hour workshop that will provide participants with valuable resource information in discovering and preparing for employment/career opportunities:

ü  How and where to find out about job opportunities. Current Job Openings and Resources offered by the State of Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations

ü  What are employers looking for? 

o   Preparing a Winning Cover Letter and Resume

o   Tips on an Effective Job Interview

o   One-on-one Critique of Your Cover Memo & Resume

o   One-on-one Mock Interview

 

MESSAGE TO OUR EMPLOYEES:  If you are in the market for a new job, have been recently separated from employment, or just looking for a change in career, you are invited to attend this special session.  We will be offering this workshop on the following dates/times/locations:

 

HILO	OAHU	MAUI	KAUAI
November 5, 2010   8:00 – 10:00am or 10:30 – 12:30pm   Location:  Institute for Astronomy Bldg (IFA) Room 131   RSVP by: Oct 29, 2010	November 18, 2010     8:00 – 10:00am or 10:30 – 12:30pm (cancelled)    Location: UH Manoa Campus Center Dining Room 203E   RSVP by: Nov 12, 2010	November 19, 2010     8:00 – 10:00am or 10:30 – 12:30pm (cancelled)    Location: Maui College, Room TBA     RSVP by: Nov 12, 2010	November 15, 2010   8:00 – 10:00am or 10:30 – 12:30pm (cancelled)  Location: Kauai CC Room TBA     RSVP by: Nov 1, 2010
December 3, 2010   8:00 – 10:00am or 10:30 – 12:30pm   Location:  Institute for Astronomy Bldg (IFA) Room 131   RSVP by: Nov 19, 2010	December 9, 2010     8:00 – 10:00am or 10:30 – 12:30pm   Location: UH Manoa Campus Center Executive Dining Room   RSVP by: Dec 2, 2010	December 17, 2010     8:00 – 10:00am or 10:30 – 12:30pm (cancelled)     Location: Maui College, Room TBA     RSVP by: Dec 2, 2010	December 10, 2010     8:00 – 10:00am or 10:30 – 12:30pm (cancelled)   Location: Kauai CC Room TBA     RSVP by: Dec 2, 2010

 

If you, or any one of your immediate family members (restricted to: parents, spouse/domestic partner, siblings, children) are interested in attending this workshop, please RSVP to Sharon Tamanaha at 956-6965 or [email protected].

 

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO TO BENEFIT FROM THIS WORKSHOP: To ensure a valuable experience for you, we would like you to “dress for success”, and prepare as if you were attending a real life job interview.  In addition, we would like you to e-mail [email protected] a copy of your current cover letter and resume at least 3 days before the session.  This will allow time for staff to review and provide you any feedback on the day of the workshop.

 

Please contact (808) 956-3100 if you have any questions.

 

FEEDBACK RECEIVED FROM WORKSHOP (based on evaluations received from attendees):

 

Course Overall:	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
I learned things that I did not know before	3	5	0	0
Topics were covered in sufficient detail	6	2	0	0
I would recommend this workshop to others	7	1	0	0
Course Materials:	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
Workshop materials were clear and useful	5	3	0	0
Workshop materials were appropriate for the presentation	6	2	0	0
I will use the workshop materials in the future	5	3	0	0
Presentation:	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
Presenter(s) was knowledgeable about subject matter	8	0	0	0
Presenter(s) was prepared and easy to understand	8	0	0	0
Presenter(s) answers my questions	8	0	0	0

 

What did you find most valuable from the workshop?

·         “The feedback from you about my resume and cover letter was most valuable”

·         “Good advice. Provided perspective outside of my own. Professional approach”

·         “The feedback. Attention to detail. The resource sheet”

·         “The course is well-organized and extremely helpful”

·         “The perspective from HR department on the hiring process”

·         “I never imagined that recruiters use craigslist. Critique of resume was very helpful, as were the typical interview questions”

·         “There were only 3 of us in attendance which allowed us to be able to have and share more one-to-one discussions”

·         “It was a valuable opportunity to see the level of 1-1 service that RCUH HR offers to its employees. It also demonstrates HR as being proactive to ask for the resume and cover letters ahead of time so that the packets could be custom-tailored”

·          “Feedback timely. Feedback easy to implement”

·         “Good idea to have this workshop. Most of us (attendees) were older, professional. The tips for current practices useful”

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                           November 1, 2010

                                                                                                                        MEMORANDUM                                                                                         

 

TO:                 All Principal Investigators & Project Administrators

 

FROM:           Nelson Sakamoto

                        Director of Human Resources

SUBJECT:   November 2, 2010 – General Election & Voting Time

 

 

November 2, 2010 is the General Election Day.  The majority of RCUH employees should be observing this as a paid State Holiday.  However, there may be some RCUH employees who are required to work on November 2, 2010.

 

Voting Time – Time Off From Work:  Employees who are registered voters and who normally do not have a free two-hour period, excluding lunch and rest breaks, must be given two hours paid leave in order to vote in the General Election while the voting polls are open (7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.).

 

This provision does not apply to any employee whose hours of work are such that he/she has a period of two consecutive hours, excluding lunch and rest breaks, prior to or before the voting polls close (i.e., 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.).  Therefore you do not need to provide the employee any time off if his/her work schedule begins at 9:00 a.m. or ends at 4:00 p.m.

 

If the employee is allowed two paid hours for voting, then the employee must present a “voter’s receipt” as proof of voting.  Failure to provide a “voter’s receipt” will result in the employee being charged vacation time or leave without pay (whichever is applicable) for the time off for voting.