Category: HR

Important Notice: Kaiser Medical Insurance: Issues with RCUH Enrollment file (January 30, 2025) – RESOLVED Jan 30 – 2:00 pm

UPDATE (January 30 – 2:00 pm) All employee accounts have been corrected by Kaiser so employees should not have issues obtaining services. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Original Post:

Please be aware that we have just received notice (January 30, 2025) that there was an issue with Kaiser’s processing of RCUH’s electronic enrollment file.

If you received a notice from Kaiser that your medical coverage has ended, please note this was sent in error and you are currently showing active coverage in the RCUH system. Kaiser is currently working on correcting this error on their end and has committed to resolving these enrollments no later than tomorrow, Friday, January 31st.

If you require immediate services today (e.g., medical appointments, prescriptions), please contact the Employee Benefits section to put you on the RUSH/EXPEDITED list with Kaiser:

RCUH Employee Benefits Section Contact Information:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (808) 956-7055 or (808) 956-2326

We sincerely apologize for the confusion and any inconvenience this may have caused.

Paid Leave Premiums for 2025 (Maine/Colorado/Oregon/Washington)

Employees working in Maine:

Effective January 1, 2025, Maine’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (PFMLI) program will be funded by employer contributions in the form of payroll deductions. Employees will contribute 0.5% of wages starting January 1, 2025.

Employees working in Colorado:

There will be no change to the rate for premiums in 2025 for Colorado’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program (FAMLI). The contribution rate will remain at 0.9% which is funded by employer/employee (50%/50%) contributions in the form of payroll deductions.

Employees working in Oregon:

There will be no change to the contribution rate for 2025 for Oregon Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (PFMLI). The contribution rate will remain at 1% of gross wages up to the social security taxable maximum wage which will be funded by employer/employee (40%/60%) contributions in the form of payroll deductions. Please note the social security taxable maximum wage has increased to $176,100.00 for 2025.

Employees working in Washington:

Effective January 1, 2025, the Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program (PFMLI) premium rate will increase to 0.92% of employee’s total gross wages up to the social security taxable maximum wage. Please note the social security taxable maximum wage has increased to $176,100.00 for 2025. The premiums are funded by employer/employee contributions in the form of payroll deductions. The employer’s contribution will be 28.48% and the employee’s contribution will be71.52%.

For any questions regarding taxes, please contact RCUH Payroll at [email protected], or (808) 956-6722.

For any questions regarding benefits, please contact RCUH Benefits at [email protected], or (808) 956-2326 or (808) 956-6979.

Resources:

New HMSA Subscriber ID Cards

To: All RCUH HMSA Medical Insurance Plan Members (and enrolled dependents)

Why did I receive a new card in the mail?
In compliance with the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), HMSA will be issuing updated Subscriber ID Cards to all RCUH group plan enrollees starting December 2024 through January 2025.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA) established protections for consumers related to surprise billing and transparency in health care. The CAA requires health plans to include members’ in-network and out-of-network deductible (DED) and maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) limits on ID cards. The ID cards must also include a phone number and website address where members can receive further assistance.

There have been no mid-year changes to the RCUH HMSA medical plans or coverages.

What action is needed by me?
No action needs to be taken. RCUH HMSA members can identify their most updated ID cards using the generated date on the bottom left-hand side of their card.

Applicable Link:
HMSA Transparency in Coverage (TCR) and Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) Overview

RCUH Employee Benefits Section:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (808) 956-7055 or (808) 956-2326

HMSA Customer Service:
Phone: (800) 776-4672

Updated RCUH Human Resources Portal/Employee Self-Service (ESS) Portal is LIVE

The updated RCUH Human Resources Portal and Employee Self-Service (ESS) Portal are now Live! Please note Safari and Firefox users may encounter a popup message – See below for examples:

We will continue to explore ways to improve our system and the user experience. If you have any questions or feedback, please contact RCUH HR Information Systems via phone (808-956-8900) or email ([email protected]).

RCUH Offices Closed on December 11, 2024

RCUH Core Staff offices at the East-West Center Burns Hall will be closed on Wednesday December 11, 2024, for an all-day staff retreat. Emails and voice messages will be periodically monitored; however, responses may be delayed.

HR Portal or Employee Self-Service: If you need help logging in, please go to the Employee Help Resources page: https://www.rcuh.com/work/help-resources/employee-resources/.

Financial Portal: If you need help logging in, please contact [email protected]. If you need assistance with the Financial Portal, please use the Help Widget to create a ticket. The Financial Portal will be open for business as usual, and online vendor payment transactions will be processed in accordance with our normal processing schedule.

Training Portal and eSign: Next-day service will be provided.

Please plan accordingly. We appreciate your understanding and patience. Should you have any questions, please email [email protected].

COMING SOON! Updated RCUH Human Resources/Employee Self-Service Portal (Launch Date: December 9, 2024)

The RCUH Human Resources Portal and Employee Self-Service will be going through a system upgrade. As part of this upgrade, the systems will move to a fluid version with an updated layout on Monday, December 9, 2024. The new layout provides users with better functionality when using the portals via mobile phone or tablet. For the HR Portal, we have rearranged some of the tiles and options within the tile to assist new users with processing personnel actions with RCUH.

We are offering 30-minute virtual sessions for Employee Self-Service and Human Resources Portal users on Friday, December 6, 2024 to preview the system interface before the systems upgrade goes live:

  • Employee Self-Service userscan register for the 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM session here.
  • Human Resources Portal users can register for the 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM session here.

Please note, registration will close at 8:00 AM on Wednesday, December 4, 2024.

Additionally, in preparation for going live with our updated portals, the RCUH Human Resources online systems will be down from Friday, December 6, 2024 at 6:00 PM to Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 12:00 PM noon (HST).  This will include:

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

We recognize the impact that this upgrade has on our operations and your work, and we are committed to making this transition as seamless as possible. We believe that the upgraded system will enhance your productivity and overall user experience.

Your feedback is valuable to us. As you start using the new RCUH Human Resources Portal/Employee Self-Service system, please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and insights with us. We are here to provide any support you may need during this transition. We will continue to explore ways to improve our system and the user experience.

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

Federal Judge Rules to Strike Down the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Overtime Final Rule (Applicable to Exempt Employees)

TO:                 Principal Investigators, Supervisors, and Project Administrators

On November 15, a federal judge in the U.S. District for the Eastern District of Texas ruled to strike down the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime final rule. The decision rules against all components of the rule, meaning both the July 1, 2024 and January 1, 2025 salary thresholds are no longer in effect nationwide. The salary threshold for Exempt (not eligible for overtime) employees under the FLSA Salary Level Test will revert to the 2019 regulations ($35,568/year or $2,964/month).

Previously, RCUH Human Resources updated the Exempt Pay Schedule in response to the July 1, 2024 increase. We have decided that the current Exempt Pay Schedule (effective July  1, 2024) will remain as is to ensure competitive pay in today’s job market. Principal Investigators with concerns and/or questions may reach out to RCUH Human Resources ([email protected]) for assistance.

Relevant Links:

RCUH Vacation Forfeiture – Coming Soon – December 31, 2024

Applicability: All regular-status RCUH employees with a vacation leave balance and Principal Investigators

During payroll processing for the pay period ending December 31, 2024 (including the hours accrued during the pay period), any hours exceeding the total maximum carry-over hours will be forfeited.  

Maximum Carry-Over Hours Depends on the Employee’s Vacation Plan. *Accrued and carry-over vacation hours are prorated by an employee’s FTE (full time equivalency) status.

Vacation Plan A: Up to a total maximum carry-over of 10 workdays (*80 hours based on 100% FTE)

Vacation Plan B: Each plan year you may carry-over not more 15 workdays (*120 hours based on 100% FTE), but may carry-over a total maximum accumulated total or 45 workdays (*360 hours based on 100% FTE)

Considerations:
2024 Holiday Season: Administrative Leave Announcement

For Employees:

To avoid forfeiture, please work with your Principal Investigator/Supervisor to coordinate your vacation time for the remainder of the calendar year (through December 31, 2024).

To calculate your potential vacation forfeiture amount, please reference your last pay statement (RCUH Employee Self-Service > Payroll and Compensation > View Pay Statement) and use the RCUH Vacation Forfeiture Calculator.

For Principal Investigators/Supervisors and Project Administrative Staff:

It is recommended that Principal Investigators meet with employees who may be forfeiting vacation hours to plan ahead and map out the work load and expectations for the end of the year. 

Forfeiture Reports were provided to all Principal Investigators (and individuals with HR Portal Supervisory Access) for the pay period ending 09/30/2024 and will be provided another report in November. Additional reports may be furnished upon request. Please note regular-status employees who reduced their FTE below 50% will not show up on the Forfeiture Report, so an email will be sent directly to the Principal Investigator/Supervisor with forfeiture information.

Vacation Plan A is the default plan for all new projects and its employees. Vacation Plan B is a legacy project setup. No new projects can be transitioned to Vacation Plan B.

Vacation payouts (while actively employed) in lieu of forfeitures are not allowed.

All employees with a vacation leave balance are subject to the maximum carryover limits at close of business on December 31, 2024. Principal Investigators may contact the RCUH Employee Benefits Section ([email protected]) if an employee has extenuating circumstances no later than December 2, 2024.

Applicable Links:
RCUH Policy 3.620 Vacation Leave
Benefits Spotlight: Vacation Leave – Use it or Lose it (including Vacation Forfeiture Calculator)

Questions? Contact RCUH Employee Benefits Section at [email protected] or (808) 956-7055 or (808) 956-2326

2024 Year End Important Dates (for PIs/Project Staff)

In our ongoing efforts to provide our project staff with early communication, please note the following 2024 Year-End Important Dates:

DatesDetails
ePAF Deadline: December 11, 2024 (Wednesday)Deadline for all retroactive payroll correction and adjustment requests for 2024. Pay period ending 12/15/2024 is the last payroll for the tax year 2024 and the last chance for retroactive payroll adjustments to be processed in the current payroll year. Any adjustments posted after pay period ending 12/15/2024 will be considered 2025 earnings/adjustments and will NOT be included in the employee’s W-2 form for 2024.
December 8, 2024 to December 31, 2024 – Taxable Travel Payments via the Financial Portal (FOR FAs ONLY)  Please hold on submitting or approving Taxable Travel Payments for RCUH Employees from December 8, 2024 to December 31, 2024. Travel Per Diems must be posted as taxable when they are received and due to timing the last payroll of the 2024 tax year is December 15, 2024, please hold off on processing during the requested times. Travel payments may resume on January 1, 2025.
FINAL PAYROLL DEADLINE FOR THE 2024 TAX YEAR:  December 16, 2024 (Monday) at NoonPayroll deadline for the 12/01 – 15/2024 pay period.  Please ensure that ALL eTimesheets are submitted and approved by the RCUH HR payroll deadline. Any late timesheets processed after pay period ending 12/15/2024 will be considered 2025 earnings/adjustments and will NOT be included in the employee’s W-2 form for 2024.
December 25, 2025 (Wednesday)Christmas Holiday
December 27, 2024 (Friday)Deadline to consent for electronic W-2 form and mailing/email address changes.  We ask that Projects encourage all of their employees to consent to receive their W-2 electronically through the secure Employee Self-Service site.
January 1, 2025 (Wednesday)New Year’s Day Holiday
First Payroll Deadline for the 2025 Tax Year: January 2, 2025 (Thursday) at NoonPayroll deadline for the 12/16 – 31/2024 pay period    

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