TO:               All Principal Investigators

SUBJECT:   Hawaii State Minimum Wage to Increase to $7.75 per hour in 2015 and up to $10.10 per hour in 2018

 

Effective January 1, 2015, the Hawaii State Minimum Wage will increase from $7.25/hour to $7.75/hour. There will also be subsequent increases to the minimum wage through Year 2018 as outlined in the table below:

 

The minimum wage will increase to:

Effective 01/01/2015	$7.75 per hour
Effective 01/01/2016	$8.50 per hour
Effective 01/01/2017	$9.25 per hour
Effective 01/01/2018	$10.10 per hour

 

You are required to post the new Minimum Wage Notice at your worksite in a place that is easily accessible by your employees.

 

For more information about minimum wage and tip credit, please click here.

 

If you have any questions, please email Renee Doi, Assistant Director of Human Resources at [email protected].

 

In order to minimize searching for the RCUH timesheets each pay period, we will have the current RCUH timesheet available in the Current News section of the RCUH website on the first working day of each pay period.

Click here for the January 1-15, 2015 Timesheet

PAYROLL Deadline is January 15, 2015 noon

Payday for this timesheet is January 22, 2015

 

Next Announcement: January 16 (January 16-31)

TO:                All Principal Investigators & Project Managers/Administrators

FROM:          Nelson Sakamoto

                      Director of Human Resources

SUBJECT:   2014 Normal Work Schedules: December 24th (Christmas Eve) & 31st (New Year’s Eve)

There will be no special notices relating to work schedules for December 24th (Christmas Eve) or December 31st (New Year’s Eve).  This is consistent with the University of Hawaii and other State agencies.  You should plan accordingly.

REMINDER – TIMESHEETS: As a reminder, please be sure to turn in your timesheets for the December 16-31, 2014 pay period no later than Noon, Wednesday, December 31, 2014.  (For those wishing to submit your timesheet earlier) we will have your online timesheets available starting Monday, December 29, 2014.

We wish all of you a safe and happy holidays.

The payroll deadline for the 12/16 – 12/31/14 pay period is 12:00 noon on WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014.   The deadline has been moved up one day due to the New Year’s Day holiday.

Please note below the advanced payroll deadlines for Pay Period Ending 12/31/14 and for 2015.  All other payroll deadlines remain as usual (one working day after the end of the pay period).

Pay Period Ending	Payroll Deadline*	Holiday in Pay Period	Payday
12/16/14 – 12/31/14	12/31/14 12:00 noon	New Year’s Day (1/01/15)	1/07/15
1/01/15 – 1/15/15	1/15/15 12:00 noon	Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Day (1/19/15)	1/22/15
2/01/15 – 2/15/15	2/13/15 12:00 noon	President’s Day (2/16/15)	2/20/15
3/16/15 – 3/31/15	3/31/15 12:00 noon	Good Friday (4/03/15)	4/07/15
6/16/15 – 6/30/15	6/30/15 12:00 noon	Independence Day (7/03/15)	7/07/15
8/01/15 – 8/15/15	8/14/15 12:00 noon	Statehood Day (8/21/15)	8/20/15
8/16/15 – 8/31/15	8/31/15 12:00 noon	Labor Day (9/07/15)	9/04/15
12/16/15 – 12/31/15	12/31/15 12:00 noon	New Year’s Day (1/01/16)	1/07/16

*Payroll Deadline – when RCUH online timesheet submission, and supporting documentation, is due to RCUH Payroll.

For your convenience, click here to view the 2015 Human Resources Personnel Action & Payroll Calendar

Should you have any questions, please contact the RCUH Payroll Staff at [email protected].

Thank you,

RCUH Payroll Staff

Deadline to Submit Consent:  Monday, January 19, 2015

TO:         RCUH Employees Who Have Not Yet Consented to Receive Electronic W-2 Forms

 

Electronic W-2:  The RCUH will provide employees with an electronic Wage and Tax Statement (W-2) for 2014 tax filings.  The electronic W-2 application on the RCUH Employee Self-Service (ESS) system provides you with a secure and convenient way to receive your 2014 W-2 form.  This notice complies with applicable IRS disclosure requirements relating to electronic W-2 forms.

 

Electronic W-2 – Prevents Identity Theft:

Identity theft is on the rise, and if it happens to you, it can be a horrible and costly nightmare.  Our #1 concern is the security of your personal information.  Your W-2 form contains enough personal identifiable information which, in the wrong hands, could lead to identity theft.  Having an electronic W-2 form will greatly reduce the chances of your personal identifiable information being used maliciously.

Interested in receiving an Electronic W-2?: 

1)      If you already submitted consent in previous years, you do not need to submit again.

2)      If you do not consent by January 19, 2015, or withdraw your consent, a paper W-2 form will be mailed to your mailing address on record.

        3)   Provide consent on the RCUH Employee Self-Service (ESS) system:

(a)    Click here https://LinktoConsent

  OR

(b)   Access www.rcuh.com and click on Employee Self-Service  > Payroll and Compensation > W-2/W-2c Consent Form

4)      Forgot your User ID or Password?  Click on the “Forgot User ID/Password” link at sign-in.

5)      Confirmation of your consent, or withdrawal of consent, will be sent to your primary email address on record.

6)      We will notify you by email when your electronic W-2 form is available (scheduled for distribution on Friday, January 23, 2015).

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

Mahalo!

RCUH Payroll Staff

 

 

In order to minimize searching for the RCUH timesheets each pay period, we will have the current RCUH timesheet available in the Current News section of the RCUH website on the first working day of each pay period.

Click here for the December 16-31, 2014 Timesheet

PAYROLL Deadline is December 31, 2014 noon

Payday for this timesheet is January 7, 2015

 

Next Announcement: January 2 (January 1-15)

The Employee Self Service (ESS) and Human Resources Administrative Management Portal (HR AMP) is now accessible again. Thank you for your patience while we were resolving the problem, and we apologize for any inconveniences this may have caused.

To:                  All Principal Investigators

 

Subject:          Changes in the New J Subpart A Rule for the J Exchange Visitor Program

 

NOTE: These changes to the J-1 Exchange Visitor program will only apply to projects that current employ or those that will employ individuals through the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program. 

 

The Department of State’s (DOS) amended Subpart A of the J exchange visitor regulations, which will apply to all exchange visitor programs and program categories.  The new rule will become effective on January 5, 2015, except for the new insurance provisions, which will become effective on May 15, 2015. 

 

Below are highlights of the major differences between the current requirements and the new requirements:

 

Effective January 5, 2015:

• “Objective measurement” of English language proficiency: The new provision require sponsors to use one of the following “objective measurements of English language proficiency” to determine an applicant’s language proficiency:

– A recognized English language test;

– Signed documentation from an academic institution or English language school; or

– A documented interview conducted by the sponsor either in-person or by videoconferencing, or by telephone if videoconferencing is not a viable option

NOTE:  For all new J-1 visa holders (new hires with an effective date of hire from January 5, 2015 and on), the RCUH will require one of the above-mentioned documents to be submitted at the time of the J-1 visa request. We will retain evidence of how we measured applicants’ English language proficiency so that it may be made available to the Department of State upon request.

• SEVIS reporting requirements and Forms DS-2019: The following requirements will be required by RCUH (the sponsor) to report to SEVIS and/or DOS as a result of the changes to the final Subpart A rule:

– Sponsors must report email addresses in SEVIS for both J-1 exchange visitors and J-2 dependents

– Sponsors must report to DOS if there is any loss or theft of Form DS-2019 by email, in addition to by telephone

– Sponsors must report in SEVIS if accompanying spouses and/or dependents depart from the United States prior to the exchange visitor’s departure dates

– Sponsors must update an exchange visitor’s SEVIS record within “10 business days” of any change in his or her actual and current U.S. address, telephone number, email address, and/or primary site of activity 

NOTE: We will now require the J-1 exchange visitor and their Principal Investigator/Supervisor to make sure that they inform RCUH of any changes ahead of time so that we can report all necessary changes to DOS/SEVIS. 

 

Effective May 15, 2015:

• J-1 Exchange visitor insurance amounts: The table below compares the insurance coverage figures in the current rule at 22 CFR 62.14 and the figures in the new final rule. This requirement for insurance also extends out to accompanying spouses and dependents of exchange visitors. 

Item	Current 62.14 Regulations	Final Rule (effective 05/15/2015)
Medical benefits	$50,000	$100,000
Repatriation of remains	$7,500	$25,000
Medical evacuation	$10,000	$50,000
Deductible per accident or illness	$500	$500

NOTE: The RCUH has already started to notify all J-1 exchange visitors of this new insurance requirement and will make sure that all J-1 exchange visitors and their spouses/dependents are compliant effective May 15, 2015.

 

Informational Resources:

• NAFSA

• J-1 Exchange Visitor Website

 

The RCUH will send a letter out to all current J-1 visa holders to inform them of the new changes as outlined above no later than December 19, 2014. The RCUH will be revising all necessary forms and informational packets for J-1 Exchange Visitors effective January 1, 2015. If you have any questions, please email RCUH Immigration at [email protected].