RCUH HR IMPORTANT – RCUH Human Resources Online Systems Down Sunday, 08/11/24 from 2:00 AM to 10:00 AM

All RCUH Human Resources online systems will be down on Sunday, 08/11/24 from 2:00 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)

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

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

October Round of the 2024 Annual Performance Evaluation Period: Performance Evaluations due by September 16 for October 1, 2024 Effective Date

TO: Principal Investigators, Supervisors, and Project Administrators

This announcement is applicable for Principal Investigators/projects that follow the Federal fiscal year or for PIs who have missed the first round (July) of the annual performance evaluation period.

Pursuant to 3.410 RCUH 12-Month/Needs Based Performance Evaluations, all Regular-Status employees must receive an Annual Performance Evaluation. Click below to access the form:

Submission of Performance Evaluations: Please submit Performance Evaluations via the Project electronic upload (eUpload) feature in the HR Portal. Instructions for submitting the evaluations via eUpload are attached here.

Deadline to submit Performance Evaluations: September 16, 2024 (Monday)

PIs must complete and submit the performance evaluation to provide their employee with a pay adjustment or award, effective October 1, 2024. There will be an option to provide employees with a retroactive lumpsum payment covering July 1, 2024 through September 30, 2024.

The online Pay Award/Personnel Action Form (PA/PAF) will be available September 23, 2024 for projects to submit their pay award/adjustments for employees. Additional information will be provided at a later date.

Please contact RCUH Human Resources if you have any questions regarding the Performance Evaluation process at (808) 956-7106 or [email protected].

New RCUH Website Features – Applicant Portal & Help Resources

Our RCUH website will soon have two new features: an applicant portal login and help resources page for employees and supervisors.

Applicant Portal

Based on applicant inquiries we received, a separate login page was created for applicants below the Financial and HR/Employee Self-Service Portals on our RCUH home page.  This link will direct them to the same Sign In page found on the top right corner of our Careers page.  

There are no changes to the application process.  With the additional, more visible login portal, new and returning external applicants can easily access their user account to submit applications.  If you have any questions, please contact HR Recruitment at [email protected]

Help Resources

The new Help Resources page contains user guides with helpful information regarding RCUH procedures and internal systems in an effort to increase understanding and access to information for our employees and project staff. The Help Resources page contains two subsections:

  • Employee Resources:
    • This page will provide information pertaining to our RCUH employees, including user guides explaining procedures within Employee Self-Service, log-in assistance, & more.
  • HR Portal: Supervisor’s Toolkit:
    • This page will provide information to support our project staff (Principal Investigators, Supervisory Authorities, etc.) including user guides that outline procedures across the employee life cycle, from HR Portal Access to employee terminations.

We hope that the Help Resources page will positively impact our employees and project support staff. If you have any questions, please contact the HR Information Systems section at [email protected]

July 19 and August 27 (10:00am HST) Post-Open Enrollment FSA Healthcare Office Hours (Optional)

All RCUH Employees who enrolled into a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Healthcare account were sent an email via MailChimp on July 8, 2024.

The RCUH Employee Benefits staff will be holding office hours for RCUH Employees who are newly enrolled or have re-enrolled into the Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for Healthcare during Open Enrollment for the July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025 plan year.

RCUH FSA Healthcare Office Hours (Optional): We will be holding virtual office hours to help you get started (or refreshed) and answer any questions you have. These sessions will not be recorded.

  • Friday, July 19, 2024, 10:00 a.m. HST
  • Tuesday, August 27, 2024, 10:00 a.m. HST cancelled

Click Here to Register

The Zoom Information will be email to you a few days before the session.


FSA Healthcare Checklist (post-Open Enrollment):

  • VIEW Benefits Spotlight – Flexible Spending Accounts: Healthcare & Dependent Care. It has instructions on how to create your account in the National Benefit Services (NBS) Portal or mobile app. It may also answer some of your questions.
  • CREATE an online account in the NBS Portal.
  • CHECK that you received your NBS FSA Debit MasterCard. It will be mailed to your mailing address (on file in Employee Self-Service) in a plain, white envelope from National Benefit Services (NBS). If you did not receive the envelope, please contact us.
    • If you were previously enrolled in the FSA Healthcare, please check your current NBS FSA Debit MasterCard’s expiration date. If unexpired, you will not receive a new card and may use your current card.
  • REVIEW your election amount. You may do this either in your Open Enrollment email confirmation or Benefits Summary in Employee Self-Service. Deductions will occur per pay period. However, the full annual election amount will be pre-loaded and available on your NBS Debit MasterCard as of July 1, 2024.

If you are unable to attend Office Hours or have a personal question, you may contact the RCUH Employee Benefits section at any time:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (808) 956-2326, (808) 956-7055, or (808) 956-6979

Now Available via HR Portal: Pay Award/Personnel Action Form (PA/PAF): Deadline to submit is July 10, 2024

TO: Principal Investigators, Project Administrators, and Fiscal Administrators

The online Pay Award/Personnel Action Form (PA/PAF) is now available via the Human Resources Portal through Wednesday, July 10, 2024.

This is the second step in the annual performance evaluation period process to elect to provide the pay award/adjustments. Please note this is only applicable for those who submitted performance evaluations by the deadline and are providing their eligible employees with pay adjustment (increase to base salary) or award (one-time payment).

Principal Investigators must complete and submit the PA/PAF no later than 4:30 P.M. on Wednesday, July 10th. Employees will see the pay award or pay adjustment reflected on their pay statement on July 22nd (pay day for the pay period July 1-15, 2024).

To access the online PA/PAF:

  1. Log in to the Human Resources Portal
  2. Click on “Manage Employees” Tab
  3. Click on “Annual Pay Awards (PA/PAF)”
  4. A copy of the 2024 RCUH Pay Guidelines will be available for reference. You will only be able to initiate pay awards or pay adjustments for employees who meet the eligibility requirements.

If you have any questions or have difficulty accessing the PA/PAF, please contact RCUH Human Resources at (808) 956-7106 or [email protected].

Effective July 1, 2024: RCUH Exempt Pay Schedule Update in Compliance with the Department of Labor Salary Threshold Increase for Exempt Employees

Effective July 1, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) determined a final rule that increases the minimum salary threshold (known as the Salary Level Test) for Exempt (not eligible for overtime) employees. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Salary Level Test is one of three requirements to qualify for an Exempt classification. In addition to the upcoming change, the DOL has set future increases through year 2027:

  1. Effective July 1, 2024: The minimum salary for Exempt employees is $3,657.33/Mon ($43,888/Year).  The minimum pay rate for an Exempt RCUH employee (regardless of FTE) will be $3,658.00/month.
  2. Effective January 1, 2025: The minimum salary for Exempt employees will increase again to $4,888/Mon ($58,656/Year). 
  3. Effective July 1, 2027: The DOL will determine the minimum salary based off data at that time and will require salary thresholds to be updated every three years.

In response to this ruling, the RCUH Exempt Pay Schedule has been updated to ensure compliance with the new regulations. At this time, there are no changes to the Non-Exempt Pay Schedule. Any new recruitments must conform with the updated pay schedule. We have identified and are working directly with Principal Investigators (PIs) regarding impacted Exempt employees. PIs have an option to either:

  1. Provide a pay adjustment to meet the minimum salary threshold
  2. Convert FLSA status from Exempt to Non-Exempt (eligible for overtime for hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week)

Since the announcement of the final rule in April 2024, lawsuits have been filed against the DOL from organizations and business groups challenging the salary threshold increases. It is important to plan accordingly despite the legal climate. PIs should take this information into consideration while budgeting and planning for current staff and future staffing.

The July 1, 2024 salary threshold impacts a minimal population of current Exempt employees. However, these employees may not meet the new minimum of their applicable pay range. No immediate action is needed from PIs to address the misalignment, since the salary level will increase again in January, unless it is to address pay equity from a newly posted recruitment.

The January 1, 2025 increase is a substantial increase and will have an effect on a larger population of Exempt employees. The RCUH Exempt Pay Schedule will once again be adjusted to ensure compliance to the scheduled increase. We recognize that this is a short window to adjust to the change. RCUH Human Resources is committed to work with PIs to provide solutions and guidance and will continue to assess and determine best practices, while ensuring compliance with applicable Federal and State regulations. For more information, please refer to the DOL Final Rule and Frequently Asked Questions.

If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Lin at (808) 956-7106 or [email protected].  

RCUH Fringe Benefits Schedule – Fiscal Year July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025

TO:                 All Principal Investigators and Fiscal Administrators

The Research Corporation of the University of Hawaiʻi (RCUH) is announcing updates to the RCUH Fringe Benefits Schedule for Fiscal Year July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. The following fringe rates have changed:

Fringe Benefit TypeFiscal Year 23-24 Rate July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024NEW Fiscal Year 24-25 Rate July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025Change
Vacation Payout Reserve0.99%0.45%-0.54%
Unused Sick Leave Payout Reserve0.16%0.24%0.08%
Unemployment Insurance Reserve0.36%0.30%-0.06%
Life Insurance$0.137 per $1,000$0.147 per $1000 
Long Term Disability Insurance$0.221 per $100$0.179 per $100 

Please refer to the RCUH Monthly Health Insurance Premium Rate Sheet for health insurance monthly premium rates which are applicable effective July 1, 2024. Actual employee enrollment (medical plan and tier) will affect fringe rate charged to projects.

The updated Fringe Benefits Schedule is posted on the RCUH Home Page > About > Policies & Procedures > Policy 3.510 Fringe Benefits.

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RCUH HR IMPORTANT: Reminder – Deadline to Submit 2024 Annual Performance Evaluation: June 19, 2024

TO:                 Principal Investigators, Supervisors, and Project Administrators

This is a reminder that the performance evaluations are due by Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Click here to access the form:

Pursuant to 3.410 RCUH 12-Month/Needs Based Performance Evaluations, all Regular-Status employees must receive an Annual Performance Evaluation. Please submit Performance Evaluations via the Project electronic upload (eUpload) feature in the HR Portal. Instructions for submitting the evaluations via eUpload are attached here.

The online PA/PAF (Pay Award/Personnel Action Form) to submit pay actions (award or adjustment) will be available via HR Portal from June 24 through July 10 for an effective date of July 1, 2024. We will provide an update once this is available.

Note for projects that follow the Federal fiscal year: Since the evaluation period is October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024, evaluations will be due with a later deadline. A second round of the online PA/PAF application will be available in September for pay increases or one-time payments with an effective date of October 1, 2024. Additional information will be provided at a later date.

Please contact RCUH Human Resources if you have any questions regarding the Performance Evaluation process at (808) 956-7106 or [email protected]

RCUH HR IMPORTANT – RCUH Human Resources Online Systems Down Sunday, 05/26/24 4:00 AM to Noon HST

All RCUH Human Resources online systems will be down on Sunday, 05/26/24 at 4:00 AM (HST) to Noon (HST) for system maintenance.

The maintenance will include:

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

We apologize for any inconveniences this may cause.

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

Second Update: Nominations Open for 2024 RCUH Outstanding Employees of the Year Awards

We are excited to announce that the maximum four (4) nominations for each of the three (3) categories of the RCUH Outstanding Employees of the Year awards—Researcher/Project Manager/Professional, Project Support Staff, Team—has been achieved! We extend our appreciation and thanks to the 12 Principal Investigators (PIs) for their nominations.

RCUH is now accepting one (1) alternate nomination for each of the award categories. The alternate nomination will be advanced only if there is a withdrawal. PIs may email their intent to submit an alternate nomination to [email protected] by May 20, 2024. The intent should include the name(s) of the employee(s) and the category (i.e., Researcher/Project Manager/Professional, Project Support Staff, Team). PIs may submit only one (1) nomination.

Should you have any questions, please see Policy 3.450 or contact RCUH Corporate Services by emailing [email protected].