All RCUH Human Resources online systems will be down on Friday, 06/10/22 at 5:00 PM (HST) to Sunday, 06/12/22 11:00 AM (HST) for system maintenance.
This will include:
We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause.
If you have any questions, please contact Taylor Sumi at (808) 956-6318 or [email protected].
On behalf of Kira Higa, RCUH director of Human Resources, please see the memorandum below (Re: Juneteenth NOT a State Holiday).
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TO: Principal Investigators and Supervisors
The deadline to submit Annual Performance Evaluations for RCUH employees will be September 16, 2022. It was previously communicated in the May 13th and May 17th HR training sessions that performance reviews were to be due on June 17th, but the deadline has been extended. An updated form will be distributed and posted online in early July, however evaluations completed on previous versions of the form will still be accepted.
Relevant RCUH Policy:
Any questions regarding the Annual Performance Evaluation process may be directed to RCUH Human Resources at [email protected].
ATTENTION: Principal Investigators & Regular-Status employees at 50-100% FTE
RCUH is now coordinating one-hour Individual/Employee Retirement (GRA/SRA) Plan Advisory Sessions with TIAA via virtual meetings June 7-9. 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 Principal Investigators 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 plan which allows an employee to make contributions via payroll deduction from his/her 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 | Location |
| Tuesday, June 7 | Virtual |
| Wednesday, June 8 | Virtual |
| Thursday, June 9 | Virtual |
https://shared.tiaa.org/public/publictools/events/meetingAndSeminar?employerId=1-8RJV-16
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 – 3pm Hawaiʻi Standard Time.
Relevant Forms and Documents:
TIAA-SRA Supplemental Retirement Annuity – 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.
A notification was sent out from the UH Office of Communications that effective Wednesday, May 25, 2022, face masks are once again required indoors across the University of Hawai’i System, except when working alone or separated from others by 6 feet or more. Restoration of this practice, consistent with current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations, was recommended by UH medical and public health experts and the State of Hawai’i Department of Health and affirmed by UH leadership.
Reinstatement of the comprehensive indoor mask requirement will help prevent further spread of the COVID-19 virus and better protect the health of everyone as every county in the state but one is currently assessed to have a “high” level of COVID-19 community transmission by the CDC. Only Hawaiʻi County is still rated “medium.” The CDC also ranks the state as 4th highest in the nation with an average 7-day case rate of 495.9 cases per 100,000 people.
The indoor face mask requirement will remain in place and be re-evaluated when the level of COVID-19 transmission in the state decreases.
For additional information, you may visit UH COVID-19 Guidelines or State Department of Health return-to-work guidance.
Mahalo for your cooperation in keeping our community safe.
All RCUH Human Resources online systems will be down on Saturday, 05/21/22 at 5:00 AM (HST) to 10:00 AM (HST) for system maintenance.
This will include:
We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause.
If you have any questions, please contact Taylor Sumi at (808) 956-6318 or [email protected].
To: RCUH Principal Investigators and Project Staff
SUBJECT: RCUH Information Only – Training Session: RCUH Human Resources: Frequently Used HR Policies (May 13 via Zoom, May 17 in-person)
Please join RCUH Human Resources Director of Human Resources, Nelson Sakamoto in one of his last two training sessions, “Frequently Used HR Policies.” These half-day sessions (4 hours total) for RCUH Principal Investigators and Project Staff will be available via Zoom (Friday, May 13th in the morning) and in-person at the UH Cancer Center Kakaako campus (Tuesday, May 17th in the afternoon). The training will cover key HR policies for RCUH projects and will be divided into four 1-hour segments. The agenda for both training sessions will be the same as stated below:
Tentative Agenda:
Hour 1: Introduction of Kira Higa, What RCUH Human Resources Can and Cannot do for you, Changes in policies, New Hire Orientation, Probation Period, Work Schedules/Locations, eTimesheet/Time Reporting, Payroll, General overview of RCUH Employee Benefits, Vacation and Sick Leave, Protected Leaves, and Q&A.
Hour 2: RCUH Job Descriptions, Reclassifications, Recruitment, RCUH Postdoc Category, Shared Employee/Appointment, Selection, Probationary Period, Non-Recruited Hires (new process), J-1 Visa (update), Volunteers, Hiring employees in locations outside of Hawai`I, and Q&A.
(Break)
Hour 3: Performance Evaluations, Updated Pay Schedule, New Pay Schedule (effective October 1, 2022), Setting new hire or reclassification Pay Rates, Performance Problems, Corrective Action, How to avoid HR problems, Role of the Supervisor of an RCUH employee and Q&A.
Hour 4: Employee/Independent Contractor, Safety/Accident Reporting/Workers’ Comp., Light Duty/Job Physical Analysis, HIOSH Joint Employer Liabilities, EEO/complaint process, Mandatory Training, and Q&A.
Zoom Online Training
Date: Friday, May 13, 2022
Time: 8:30am – 12:30pm
Location: ZOOM link provided by Thursday, May 12
Registration via RCUH Training Portal by Thursday, May 12, 4:00pm
In-Person Training (Honolulu)
Date: Tuesday, May 17, 2022
Time: 12:30pm – 4:30pm
Location: UH Cancer Center Auditorium, 701 Ilalo St, Honolulu, HI 96813
Registration via RCUH Training Portal by Friday, May 13, 4:00pm
No walk-ins. Restricted access required pre-registration.
Individuals who require special needs accommodations are encouraged to request assistance in writing to [email protected] at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting.
Registration is available in the RCUH Training Portal. If you need to request access to the RCUH Training Portal, please complete this form.
After serving as RCUH’s Director of Human Resources for more than 30 years, Nelson Sakamoto has officially announced his retirement. Director Sakamoto’s last day in office will be Friday, May 20, 2022.
“On behalf of RCUH, I’d like to congratulate Nelson on his retirement and thank him for his years of service and his commitment to serving Hawai‘i’s research community,” said Executive Director Lenny Gouveia. “RCUH has been fortunate to have had Nelson at the helm of the Human Resources Department for so many years, but now is the time for him to kick back, relax, and enjoy life outside of RCUH. Although these will be big shoes to fill, we are excited to start a new chapter with the incoming director.”
Kira Higa has been named incoming Director of Human Resources, effective May 9, 2022. She previously worked at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and has held various roles at Hawaiian Telcom for the past 13 years, most recently as HR Director. Ms. Higa also serves on the Hawaii Workforce Development Council and is a graduate of the Patsy T. Mink Wahine Leadership Cohort.
“We are pleased to welcome Kira to the RCUH ‘ohana and have high hopes for her in this position,” Gouveia said.
Friday, April 29
ATTENTION: Principal Investigators & Regular-Status employees at 50-100% FTE
RCUH is now coordinating one-hour Individual/Employee Retirement (GRA/SRA) Plan Advisory Sessions with TIAA via virtual meetings July 12-14. 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 Principal Investigators 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 plan which allows an employee to make contributions via payroll deduction from his/her 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 | Location |
| Tuesday, May 3 | Virtual |
| Wednesday, May 4 | Virtual |
| Thursday, May 5 | Virtual |
https://shared.tiaa.org/public/publictools/events/meetingAndSeminar?employerId=1-8RJV-16
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 – 3pm Hawaiʻi Standard Time.
Relevant Forms and Documents:
TIAA-SRA Supplemental Retirement Annuity – 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.
To: RCUH Employees (who are benefits eligible) and Principal Investigators
The RCUH Benefit Open Enrollment period is your opportunity to elect, waive, or change certain benefit elections for the upcoming plan year. Health insurance and flexible spending account (FSA) plan years start on July 1, 2022 and last through June 30, 2023. Mid-year changes and enrollments are not allowable unless you experience a qualified life event (marriage, divorce, birth of child, etc.).
Please access all Open Enrollment forms and materials (rate sheets, summary of benefits, comparison documents, and videos) at the following link:
2022-2023 RCUH Open Enrollment Page
What you can do during Open Enrollment:Waive health insurance (Health Waiver form is MANDATORY for all employees who wish to waive coverage for this plan year)
Enroll in or change health plan(s): Dental (1 plan) and Medical (7 plans)
Add dependents to your current health plan
Enroll in a Flexible Spending Account – Healthcare for the upcoming plan year
Enroll in a Flexible Spending Account – Dependent Care for the upcoming plan year
Change your group Life Insurance coverage amount (maximum 2xs base salary up to $600,000) (contact [email protected] for more information)
Enroll you (and your spouse) in Supplemental Long Term Care Insurance (contact [email protected] for more information)
IMPORTANT: As a condition of employment or continued employment, an employee deemed eligible for the RCUH health insurance must either elect or waive health insurance coverage. All employees waiving medical coverage are required to submit a health waiver form as an acknowledgement of the offer of health insurance and agreement that they are opting to waive coverage.
If you are currently enrolled in health insurance and have no changes to your coverage, no action is needed.
If you are currently enrolled in the Flexible Spending Healthcare or Dependent Care Account and you wish to continue your benefit, you must submit a new enollment form as plan elections do not rollover.
Introducing eUpload
Once you determine what forms you need to submit, use the eUpload feature in Employee Self Service to upload forms and supporting documentation to RCUH Human Resources in a secure and efficient manner. Employees will also be able to access real-time tracking of their requests and confirm the effective date of their requested change – all through the Employee Self Service portal.
How to prepare for Open Enrollment:
Health insurance needs can change from year to year. Not all plans have the same levels of coverage benefits and out of pocket costs. By comparing your options, you may be able to save money, find more appropriate coverage, or both. Take a few minutes to review your medical costs during the current plan year. You may find your current medical and dental monthly premiums in Employee Self Service > Benefits > Benefits Summary page. Please be aware that monthly premiums are not the only cost you should consider. We encourage you to compare plans by considering other factors besides the monthly premium including but not limited to deductibles, clinic locations, ease of scheduling appointments, and the potential out of pocket costs in case of a medical catastrophe (monthly premium x 12 months per year + deductible and out of pocket costs).
Health Insurance Premiums:
Monthly premiums for both Kaiser plans and Hawaii Dental Service will remain the same as last year. However, HMSA plans have experienced a 9-15% increase in cost, depending on your plan.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA): Healthcare and Dependent Care
Once you better understand your out of pocket medical costs, you might consider enrolling in a Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA). Do you wear glasses or contacts? Do you wear sunscreen? Have you purchased COVID-19 test kits? If you answered YES to any of these questions, participation in the FSA Healthcare can potentially save you money. If you are interested in learning more about Healthcare FSAs this plan year, please contact Amber Kaneakua at [email protected] to schedule a short informational overview of this benefit.
You work hard for your money. Our goal is to provide you with information and tools to help you to make good financial decisions this open enrollment period.
Important Dates
April 28 – May 17: RCUH Employee Benefit Open Enrollment Period
May 17 – 5:00pm: DEADLINE to submit Open Enrollment forms via ESS eUpload
June 6: Open Enrollment benefit changes reflected in ESS Benefit Summary
July 1: Start date of benefit enrollment/change
Questions?
Please contact the RCUH Employee Benefits section to discuss your questions or concerns about Open Enrollment.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (808) 956-7055 or (808) 956-6979
Employee Self Service (ESS) Password Resets: RCUH HR Information Systems
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (808) 956-8900
eUpload Assistance: HR Help Desk
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (808) 956-7055 or (808) 956-6979
Contact vendors directly with questions regarding specific coverage questions or current claims:
Hawaii Dental Service (HDS) Member Services: (808) 529-9248
HMSA Preferred Provider Plan & CompMED: (808) 948-6111
HMSA Health Plan Hawai’i & Health Plan Hawai’i Plus: (808) 948-6372
Kaiser Member Services: (808) 432-5955
National Benefit Services (NBS) Flexible Spending Account Member Services: (855) 399-3035
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