Category: HR

Nominations Open for 2023 Outstanding Employees of the Year Awards

NOMINATE YOUR PROJECT STAFF FOR THE 2023 RCUH OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR AWARDS

The awards encourage, recognize, and reward RCUH employees who have made demonstrable, significant, and exemplary contributions to their project during the past fiscal year (July 2022–June 2023) or years. The nominee must be in a regular-status position, employed by the nominating program for at least one (1) year, have passed their new hire probation period, and in good standing.

CATEGORIES

  1. Researcher/Project Manager (exempt status position)
  2. Project Support Staff (non-exempt status position)
  3. Team (2-4 staff in exempt and/or non-exempt positions)

AWARDS

  • $1,000 to the first place awardee in each category
  • $500 to the second place awardee in each category
  • $50 to each nominee

All nominees will be recognized at the RCUH Awards Luncheon to be held in October 2023.

NOMINATIONS

A Principal Investigator may submit one (1) nomination. Team nominations are limited to no more than four (4) individuals per team. Please ensure that your nominee(s) is/are willing to be interviewed and filmed on camera.

Each category will be limited to four (4) nominations. Due to the category limits, PIs must indicate their intent to submit a nomination by emailing [email protected] no later than April 28, 2023. The email should include the employee’s name and nomination category. Upon verification of employment status, RCUH will provide the PI with a nomination form. The deadline to submit a nomination form is May 31, 2023.

FILMING

Filming will occur in July and August.

For more information, please refer to policy 3.450 Outstanding Employee of the Year or contact RCUH Corporate Services at [email protected] or 808-956-0504.

Benefits Spotlight Series – Healthcare Options: PPOs or HMOs

Gas prices? Think about healthcare prices instead! On average, a person spends around 6 times more per year on healthcare (~$12,914) than on gas (~$2,150) in Hawaii.

With Open Enrollment right around the corner, this is the perfect opportunity to start thinking about your current health plan and what works best for you and your family.

This Benefits Spotlight shows the differences between the Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) and Health Maintenance Organization (HMO).  When shopping around or comparing health plans, you may find yourself confused with the different terminologies. We hope that this spotlight will help you understand what all this jargon means.  Click here to check out our Benefits Spotlight on Healthcare Options: PPOs Or HMOs – Which Is Right for You?

Open Enrollment 2023 – What’s new!

HMSA Plans – We will no longer be offering the HMSA Health Plan Hawaii Basic plan this year. If you are currently enrolled in this plan, we will be contacting you directly with important information regarding your options for transitioning into a new plan. While this plan is no longer available, we anticipate there should be little to no disruption in your current healthcare services. The current Health Plan Hawai’i Plus will be our stand-alone HMO for HMSA with a new name – HMSA HMO.

Kaiser Plans – New names and addition of CAMN (Chiropractic Care, Acupuncture, Massage Therapy + Naturopathy). Kaiser Plan A will be renamed Kaiser HMO Standard and Kaiser Plan B will be renamed Kaiser HMO Comprehensive.

 e-Waiver coming soon!  For all employees who waive health coverage annually, or are opting out of health coverage this year, we will have an e-Waiver available on ESS e-Upload! It is a simple process that allows you to submit your waiver online with no extra forms or downloads!
 
Webpage updates – We are continually adding more information to the RCUH Benefits webpage, so please check this frequently for new items and resources. 

RCUH HR IMPORTANT – RCUH Human Resources Online Systems Down Saturday, 03/25/23 5:00 AM to Sunday, 03/26/23 1:00 AM

All RCUH Human Resources online systems will be down on Saturday, 03/25/23 at 5:00 AM (HST) to Sunday, 03/26/23 1:00 AM (HST) for system maintenance.

The maintenance will include:

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

Please see below for the tentative System Down Schedule for 2023:

DateTime
April 29, 2023 (Saturday)5:00 AM (HST) – 10:00 AM (HST)
May 27, 2023 (Saturday)5:00 AM (HST) – 10:00 AM (HST)
June 24, 2023 (Saturday)5:00 AM (HST) – 10:00 AM (HST)
July 29, 2023 (Saturday)5:00 AM (HST) – 10:00 AM (HST)
August 26, 2023 (Saturday)5:00 AM (HST) – 10:00 AM (HST)
September 30, 2023 (Saturday)5:00 AM (HST) – 10:00 AM (HST)
October 28, 2023 (Saturday)5:00 AM (HST) – 10:00 AM (HST)
November 25, 2023 (Saturday)5:00 AM (HST) – 10:00 AM (HST)
December 30, 2023 (Saturday)5:00 AM (HST) – 10:00 AM (HST)

We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause. This schedule is subject to change and a current announcement will be posted when the downtime is scheduled.

If you have any questions, please contact Taylor Sumi at (808) 956-6318 or [email protected].

RCUH INFO ONLY – March 2023: Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Workshops Available

Attention: Principal Investigators (PIs) & Regular-Status employees at 50-100% FTE

If you are interested in learning how you could potentially increase your take-home pay, want to know more information about FSAs, or if you are wondering if an FSA is right for you, RCUH Human Resources will be holding 45-minute virtual workshops in March.

DatesTime (HST)
Wednesday, March 22, 20239:00 am – 9:45 am
Wednesday, March 29, 20232:00 pm – 2:45 pm

You may register to attend a virtual workshop via the RCUH Training Portal under “Live Sessions.” Click on “Via Content Library” under “Assignment Type” and click “Apply” to view the available workshops. If you need assistance with your RCUH Training Portal login and/or password, please contact [email protected]. Or you can email [email protected] and we can register you into a session.

Workshops may be rescheduled if the participant count is low.

PIs/Admin may also request virtual workshops for their project, so that project staff may attend a session together. Please contact [email protected] or call (808) 956-6979 / (808) 956-2326.

Relevant links:

Individuals who require special needs accommodations may request assistance in writing to [email protected] prior to the scheduled meeting.

RCUH HR INFORMATION ONLY: 2023 RCUH ePAF and Payroll Deadline Calendar Reminders

You can now add reminders to your Outlook, iCalendar, and Google Calendars for upcoming RCUH ePAF and Payroll Deadlines for the calendar year 2023. You may edit these calendar reminders as necessary to fit your project’s needs and deadlines. Please see the table below for dates and calendar reminders.

Click here for instructions on how to add these dates to your calendars.

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

Pay PeriodRCUH ePAF Deadline
(click on link for calendar reminder)		RCUH Payroll Deadline – Noon
(click on link for calendar reminder)
03/01/2023 – 03/15/2023Monday, March 13, 2023Thursday, March 16, 2023
03/16-2023 – 03/31/2023Wednesday, March 29, 2023Monday, April 3, 2023
04/01/2023 – 04/15/2023Wednesday, April 12, 2023Monday, April 17, 2023
04/16/2023 – 04/30/2023Wednesday, April 26, 2023Monday, May 1, 2023
05/01/2023 – 05/15/2023Thursday, May 11, 2023Tuesday, May 16, 2023
05/16/2023 – 05/31/2023Friday, May 26, 2023Thursday, June 1, 2023
06/01/2023 – 06/15/2023Tuesday, June 13, 2023Friday, June 16, 2023
06/16/2023 – 06/30/2023Wednesday, June 28, 2023Monday, July 3, 2023
07/01/2023 – 07/15/2023Wednesday, July 12, 2023Monday, July 17, 2023
07/16/2023 – 07/31/2023Thursday, July 27, 2023Tuesday, August 1, 2023
08/01/2023 – 08/15/2023Friday, August 11, 2023Wednesday, August 16, 2023
08/16/2023 – 08/31/2023Tuesday, August 29, 2023Friday, September 1, 2023
09/01/2023 – 09/15/2023Wednesday, September 13, 2023Monday, September 18, 2023
09/16/2023 – 09/30/2023Wednesday, September 27, 2023Monday, October 2, 2023
10/01/2023 – 10/15/2023Wednesday, October 11, 2023Monday, October 16, 2023
10/16/2023 – 10/31/2023Friday, October 27, 2023Wednesday, November 1, 2023
11/01/2023 – 11/15/2023Monday, November 13, 2023Thursday, November 16, 2023
11/16/2023 – 11/30/2023Tuesday, November 28, 2023Friday, December 1, 2023
12/01/2023 – 12/15/2023Wednesday, December 13, 2023Monday, December 18, 2023
12/16/2023 – 12/31/2023Wednesday, December 27, 2023Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Benefits Spotlight Series – Flexible Spending Accounts: Did You Know…

In this series, we will explore the benefits of enrolling in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA).

An FSA lets you use pretax money set aside for the year to pay for health or dependent care expenses. This could be one of the simplest solutions in saving money on everyday items you may already be purchasing. Perhaps the biggest benefit is saving money on taxes!

If you are interested in learning how you could potentially increase your take-home pay, want to know more information about FSAs, or if you are wondering if an FSA is right for you, RCUH Human Resources will be holding 45-minute virtual workshops in March.

You may register to attend a virtual workshop via the RCUH Training Portal under “Live Sessions.” Click on “Via Content Library” under “Assignment Type” and click “Apply” to view the available workshops. If you need assistance with your RCUH Training Portal login and/or password, please contact [email protected].

PIs/Admin may also request virtual workshops for their project, so that project staff may attend a session together. Please contact [email protected] or call (808) 956-6979 / (808) 956-2326.

If you are planning to enroll for an FSA this upcoming plan year (2023-2024), RCUH’s Open Enrollment will be held April 26 – May 17, 2023.

Click here to check out our Benefits Spotlight on Flexible Spending Accounts.

RCUH HR IMPORTANT: Action Required – Updated State and Federal Employment Law Notices and Posters to be Posted at Project Work Site

To: Principal Investigators and Project Staff

Employers are required to display State and Federal employment law notices and posters in a visible place that is regularly visited by employees (i.e., designated bulletin board, lunchroom, break room, or conference room). These notices and posters inform employees and prospective employees of their rights under State and Federal employment laws and regulations. Physical posting is required by law. Failure to post the required, current State and Federal employment law notices can result in fines.

We ask that all projects post the all-inclusive poster at a designated and highly visible place at the project’s work site. For projects that are working in the office (e.g., on campus, State or Federal facilities), please check with the respective Business/Administrative Office. It is likely the centralized Business/Administrative offices have the posters displayed and are compliant. 

Moving forward, RCUH Human Resources will inform projects when updated posters are available to ensure compliance with this requirement. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

If you have any questions about posting requirements, please contact RCUH Employment via phone (808-956-7106) or email ([email protected]).

RCUH Information Only: 2023 Annual Performance Evaluation Periods to be Effective July 1st or October 1st

To: Principal Investigators, Project Staff, and Fiscal Administrators

The 2023 Annual Performance Evaluation periods are to be effective July 1st or October 1st. Please anticipate on receiving additional information, which includes timelines and deadlines, at a later date. If there are any questions regarding performance evaluations, please contact RCUH Employment via phone (808-956-7106) or email ([email protected]).

RCUH HR INFORMATION ONLY: RCUH Policy 3.225 Employee/Independent Contractor Review: Policy & Form Updates

In an effort to streamline the RCUH HR Employee/Independent Contractor Review process, new procedures and forms are being implemented to empower our research projects to use their discretion to determine if their engagement falls under one of the defined Non-Employee Designations. Although the RCUH Human Resources Department still handles reviews, if your engagement fits one of the Non-Employee designations, no RCUH HR Review is necessary!

Introducing NEW Form: Attestation of Exception to RCUH HR EIC Review (Form ICQ-01) (no RCUH HR Review needed)

When to use: If the Principal Investigator can attest to the nature and scope of the engagement and apply it to one of the Non-Employee designations as defined below (see Policy 3.225 for explanations of Non-Employee designations).  The completed and signed form should be attached to payment documents as needed.

  • Non-Employee: Guest Speaker
  • Non-Employee: Non-Compensated Project Support (previously Master EIC)
  • Non-Employee: Off-Duty Special Duty Police (previously Master EIC)
  • Non-Employee: Research Study Participant (previously Master EIC)
  • Non-Employee: Independent Contractor – One-Time/Short-Term Engagement

Updated Form: Independent Contractor Questionnaire (ICQ-02): Request for RCUH HR Review

When to use: If the project determines that none of the defined Non-Employee categories are appropriate for their engagement. Completed forms should be submitted to RCUH Human Resources (via RCUH HR Portal eUpload or email to: [email protected]) along with the required supporting documentation no less than 7-10 business days prior to the start of the engagement:

  • Hawaii General Excise Tax: Proof of Account (ONLY for individuals completing work in Hawaii)
  • Proof of business (i.e. website, CV, etc.): Documentation to prove the individual is set up to provide specialized services
  • Scope of Services: Outlining deliverables (OPTIONAL – but highly recommended)

Once the RCUH ICQ-02 Form is submitted, RCUH HR will complete the review within five (5) business days and provide the project with a final determination of one of the following:

  • Employee
  • Independent Contractor
  • Non-Employee/Other

This determination should be uploaded with the applicable purchase order or payment document. Legacy forms/memo requests will still be accepted during this transition period until further notice.

RCUH HR will not provide retroactive determinations.

RCUH Documents and Forms:

Policy 3.225 RCUH Employee Independent Contractor Review

Document Library: Human Resources: Employee/Independent Contractor (EIC)

Attestation of Exception to EIC Review (No RCUH HR Review needed) – Form ICQ-01

Independent Contractor Questionnaire (ICQ): Request for RCUH HR Review – Form ICQ-02

References:

IRS: Independent Contractor (Self-Employed) or Employee?

Department of Labor: Misclassification of Employees as Independent Contractors

 Please contact Tana Staub at (808) 956-7055 or Email: [email protected] with any questions or concerns regarding the RCUH Employee/Independent Contractor Review Policy 3.225 or procedures.

RCUH HR Important: MFA Coming Soon!

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

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is coming soon for the Human Resources Portal and Employee Self-Service.

With MFA implementation, we are aiming to increase the security of our systems and to provide protection for the sensitive data found in these portals.

Please note that in preparation for the MFA launch, RCUH HR Information Systems will be contacting individuals who have multiple user identifications for the Human Resources Portal and Employee Self-Service to condense their login IDs.

If there are any questions or concerns regarding the Multi-Factor Authentication launch or condensing your system IDs, please contact RCUH HR Information Systems via phone (808-956-8900) or email ([email protected])