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.

Dates	Time (HST)
Wednesday, March 22, 2023	9:00 am – 9:45 am
Wednesday, March 29, 2023	2:00 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:

• 3.530 RCUH Flexible Spending Plan

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

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.

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.

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.

• State and Federal Employment Law Notices and Posters PDF

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]).

To: Principal Investigators, Project Staff, and Fiscal Administrators

The 2023 Annual Performance Evaluation periods are to be effective July 1^st or October 1^st. 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]).

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.

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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])

All RCUH Human Resources online systems will be down on Saturday, 02/25/23 at 5:00 AM (HST) to 10:00 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:

Date	Time
February 25, 2023 (Saturday)	5:00 AM (HST) – 10:00 AM (HST)
March 25, 2023 (Saturday)	5:00 AM (HST) – 10:00 AM (HST)
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].

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

RCUH is now coordinating half-hour Individual/Employee Retirement (GRA/SRA) Plan Advisory Sessions with TIAA via virtual meetings for February 23, March – April 2023. Regardless of your current status – whether you are a long-time employee, just hired, or somewhere in between – it is never too early or too late to consider retirement planning. During these personalized sessions, you will be able to discuss your personal financial/retirement goals with a TIAA Financial Consultant on a free and confidential basis.

Because these sessions are being held during normal business hours, all employees must notify their PIs and supervisors if they would like to attend. We encourage PIs to allow their employees to attend the TIAA Advisory Sessions, if requested. 

For employees unfamiliar with the SRA (Supplemental Retirement Annuity) plan, please note that unlike the GRA (Group Retirement Annuity) plan, there is no 12-month waiting period and you may enroll or make changes to your election at any time during the year. The SRA plan with TIAA is considered a 403(b) tax-deferred annuity (TDA) plan which allows an employee to make contributions via payroll deduction from their pre-tax earnings over and above the amount being accumulated under the RCUH basic retirement plan (GRA). 

For more information about the GRA and SRA plans, please review Policy 3.560 RCUH Retirement Plans.

We have reserved the following dates and times for individual sessions:

Dates	Time (HST)	Location
February 23, 2023	8:00 AM – 3:00 PM	Virtual
March 6 – 9, 2023	8:00 AM – 3:00 PM	Virtual
March 20 – 23, 2023	8:00 AM – 3:00 PM	Virtual
March 27 – 30, 2023	8:00 AM – 3:00 PM	Virtual
April 3 – 5, 2023	8:00 AM – 3:00 PM	Virtual

TIAA has recently updated the process for scheduling virtual appointments. To schedule a virtual appointment with our local TIAA consultant, Nathan Garner:

• Employees can visit www.tiaa.org/schedulenow
• Click on the SCHEDULE button under VIRTUAL CONSULTATION.

• Employees will be prompted to login using their TIAA credentials, or create a guest login if they are not currently a participant.
• Please select or enter “Research Corp of the Univ of HI”as the institution which will then direct them to the open virtual meetings that are available for employees.

• From there, select a date/time and confirm the meeting.

If you have questions or are unable to schedule an appointment online, please call TIAA’s Service and Scheduling Group at (800) 732-8353 Mon-Fri 6am – 1pm Hawai’i Standard Time.

Please contact the RCUH Employee Benefits Section with any questions or concerns at: [email protected].

Relevant Links:

RCUH Policy 3.560 RCUH Retirement Plans

TIAA SRA Plan Agreement for Salary Reduction Form B-6

Meetings are accessible for individuals with disabilities.  Individuals who require special needs accommodations may request assistance in writing to [email protected] prior to the scheduled meeting.