TO:       All Eligible Regular-Status Employees that wish to elect/maintain the Maximum Allowable Contribution in the Calendar Year

On November 1, 2023, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced cost-of-living adjustments increasing the maximum dollar contribution for pension plans and other retirement-related plans for 2024. Effective January 1, 2024, the maximum employee contribution limits will increase as follows: (see Table below):

Supplemental Retirement Annuity (SRA) Maximums– Effective January 1, 2024

	2023 Maximum	New 2024 Maximum
Employee contributions (pre-tax)	$22,500	$ 23,000 ($958.34 per pay period)
Additional “catch-up” contribution for individuals 50 years or older by December 31, 2024	$7,500 (Max TOTAL contribution $30,000)	$7,500 for TOTAL contribution of $30,500 ($1,270.84 per pay period)

If you wish to adjust your maximum contribution from the first pay period of the tax year 2024, please complete the Agreement for Salary Reduction Form (Form B-6) and submit via Employee Self-Service eUpload link no later than December 22, 2023.

The RCUH does NOT automatically adjust your SRA contributions so if you have previously elected the maximum allowable contributions, you must submit a new form.

To help our employees calculate their maximum contribution levels (per pay period) we are excited to introduce our SRA Maximum Allowable Contribution Calculator. This tool may be used at any point in the year and adjusts the contribution amount based on how many pay periods left in the tax year.

If you have any questions, please contact RCUH Human Resource Employee Benefits section at:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (808) 956-2326 or (808) 956-6979

Relevant Links:

• IRS-2023-203 (IRS Announcement)
• RCUH Policy 3.560 Retirement Plans
• Benefits Spotlight Series: Retirement Accounts
• NEW: SRA Maximum Calculator

Every employer covered by the nondiscrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity laws is required to post on its premises the poster, “Know Your Rights.” The notice must be posted prominently, where it can be readily seen by employees and applicants for employment. The notice provides information concerning the laws and procedures for filing complaints of violations of the laws with the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.

You can find the required employer postings here:

https://www.rcuh.com/document-library/3-000/eeo/eeo-is-the-law-poster/

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which is administered and enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations to a worker’s known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation will cause the employer an undue hardship.

For more information:

https://www.eeoc.gov/wysk/what-you-should-know-about-pregnant-workers-fairness-act

If you have any questions about reasonable accommodations, please contact Michelle Maeda or Tana Staub at RCUH Employee Benefits section at [email protected] or (808) 956-2326.

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

TIAA still has Individual/Employee Retirement (GRA/SRA) Plan Advisory Sessions available for the month of October and November! Schedule now for a virtual appointment with our new TIAA consultant based locally – Cody Ferrell.

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 and visit our Benefits Spotlight: Retirement Accounts.

To schedule a virtual appointment with our new TIAA consultant based locally, Cody Ferrell:

• Employees can visit www.tiaa.org/schedulenow
• Click on the Schedule button under Discuss your financial situation with a TIAA consultant.

• 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 Employer 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 (HST).

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 rcuh prior to the scheduled meeting.

All vacation hours exceeding the maximum carry-over of an eligible employee’s applicable vacation plan will be automatically forfeited on December 31, 2023.

Visit our Benefits Spotlight – Vacation Leave (Use it or Lose it!) for more information – including a Vacation Forfeiture Calculator!

Maximum Carry-Over Hours Depends on the Employee’s Vacation Plan:

• Vacation Plan A: Up to a total maximum carry-over of 10 workdays (*80 hours based on 100% FTE)
• Vacation Plan B: Each plan year you may carry-over not more 15 workdays (*120 hours based on 100% FTE), but may carry-over a total maximum accumulated total or 45 workdays (*360 hours based on 100% FTE)
  (*Hours are prorated if less than 100% FTE.)

How to find your Vacation Plan and Accrued Vacation Balance:

Option 1: Log into Human Resources Portal & Employee Self-Service > Employee Self-Service tab > Under Payroll and Compensation click on View Pay Statement > View Pay Statement > View VAC HOURS LEAVE PLAN and End Balance towards the bottom of your pay statement

Option 2: Log into Human Resources Portal & Employee Self-Service > Employee Self-Service tab > Under Benefits click on Benefits Summary

We have other Benefits Spotlight features including: Understanding Your Pay Statement, Retirement Accounts, and more!

Interested in other Employee Benefits? Please browse our newly refreshed RCUH Employee Benefits page featuring new tiles for Active Employees, New Hires, and Injury and Workers’ Compensation.

Applicable Policy:

3.620 RCUH Vacation Leave

If you have any questions regarding your vacation leave, please contact RCUH Employee Benefits:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (808) 956-2326 or (808) 956-6979

If you need assistance logging into your Employee Self-Service, please contact the HR Help Desk:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (808) 956-8900

TO:                 Principal Investigators and Project Administrators

On July 3, 2023, Hawai’i Governor Josh Green signed into law pay transparency bill SB 1057.  Effective January 1, 2024, Hawai’i employers with more than 50 employees will be required to disclose in all external job listings the hourly rate or salary range that reasonably reflects the actual expected compensation of the position. The objective of the law is to reduce pay inequalities and promote ongoing transparency. 

Overview of the guidelines and changes to the state’s equal pay law:

• Does not apply to job listings for internal transfers or promotions within the employer; public employee positions for which salary, benefits, or other compensation are determined pursuant to collective bargaining; and positions with employers that have fewer than 50 employees
• Prohibits discriminating between employees because of any protected category established under state law, not just sex
• Compares employees in the establishment who perform “substantially similar work,” instead of “equal work”

Equity: RCUH Human Resources continues to conduct internal pay equity reviews and will follow up with projects as necessary.

Recruitments: By October 16, 2023, projects will be able to utilize an additional field on Step 3 to enter a proposed monthly salary/hourly rate or range for the position upon initiating a position request via the HR Portal (Hire Employees: Initiate Regular Hire).  This should reasonably reflect the actual expected compensation of the position, and align with your current employee equity (view Reports: Employee Reports on the HR Portal).  RCUH will review and confirm the advertised salary prior to posting. 

Policy 3.234 RCUH Recruitment (Regular Hires) will be updated with the revised advertised salary guidelines effective January 1, 2024. If you would like to request a meeting with RCUH Recruitment for additional training or assistance, click here to schedule a meeting or contact RCUH Recruitment at [email protected].

To: RCUH Principal Investigators, Project Staff, and Employees

We’d like to inform you about a change in our upcoming plans. Due to unforeseen technical circumstances, we are postponing the scheduled RCUH Human Resources Portal/Employee Self-Service upgrade that was initially planned for August 28, 2023.

The decision to delay this upgrade was not made lightly, and we understand the importance of these upgrades to our operations and your work. However, our team has identified some issues that need to be addressed before we can proceed. These challenges, while unexpected, are essential to ensure a smooth transition and optimal performance after the upgrade.

We apologize for any inconvenience this delay may cause and appreciate your patience and understanding. Our goal is to ensure a successful system upgrade that will enhance our capabilities and your experience. Further communications will be posted when the new launch date is confirmed.

If you have any immediate questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to RCUH HR Information Systems via phone (808-956-8900) or email ([email protected]). We value your partnership and remain dedicated to providing you with the best tools and resources for your work.

Thank you for your continued support.

INFORMATION FOR: RCUH Employees (Active and Terminated) enrolled in HMSA medical plans on December 1, 2021

This notification is applicable to individuals enrolled in an RCUH HMSA plan on December 1, 2021.  As a result of HMSA’s financial recovery emerging from the pandemic, HMSA is providing members with a 14.46% refund for the December 2021 premiums. RCUH will be returning these funds back to all employees and project accounts affected during payroll processing for the August 1-15^th pay period (pay day: August 22, 2023).

What to expect:

Active Employees:

RCUH will process a refund to affected employees during the August 1-15, 2023 pay period to their active direct deposit account on file. You will see two pay stubs – one for regular pay period earnings and one for the refund amount.

Terminated Employees:

RCUH will process a refund to affected individuals to their last direct deposit account on file. If your account is closed, we will receive an ACH return from the bank and a manual check will be issued in the name of the enrollee and mailed to your address on file.

If your original deduction was made on a pre-tax basis (default), please be aware that the refunded amount may be taxable.  You should expect communication regarding your tax year 2023 W-2 in late January 2024. If you have a consent to receive your W-2 electronically on file, you will be able to access your document on RCUH Employee Self Service (ESS) by January 31, 2024. Access to ESS is still available to past employees. Password resets are available via the self-service feature or you may call RCUH Human Resources at (808) 956-8900.

Please direct any questions or concerns to RCUH Human Resources via email at [email protected] or (808) 956-8900.

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INFORMATION FOR: RCUH Principal Investigators and Fiscal Administrators

As a result of HMSA’s financial recovery emerging from the pandemic, HMSA is providing RCUH members with a 14.46% refund for the December 2021 premiums.  RCUH will be returning these funds back to all employees affected during payroll processing for the August 1-15^th pay period (pay day: August 22, 2023). Refunds to project accounts will be processed at a later date, tentatively scheduled no later than September 30, 2023. Further communication regarding this will be forthcoming.

Project Accounts:

RCUH will process a refund to the project numbers that the employee was active on during the 11/30/2021 pay period.

What if my project account is closed?

RCUH HR will be working with RCUH Accounting on handling the refund back to closed project accounts and handled on a case-by-case basis.

Please direct any questions or concerns to RCUH Human Resources via email: [email protected] or (808) 956-8900.

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All RCUH Human Resources online systems will be down on Saturday, 08/19/23 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
August 19, 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].

The RCUH Human Resources Portal and Employee Self-Service will be going through a system upgrade. As part of this upgrade, the systems will be moving to a new website with an updated layout on Monday, August 28, 2023. The new layout provides users quicker access to hiring, personnel actions, eTimesheets, and updating their personal information. Please click here to preview the new layout.

Please note that effective MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 2023, the links to the Human Resources Portal and Employee Self-Service will change. You will receive the new URLs the morning of August 28.You can also go to RCUH.com > Human Resources Portal and Employee Self-Service for the most up-to-date links.

For this update, we are offering 30 minute virtual sessions for Employee Self-Service and Human Resources Portal users to preview the system interface before the systems upgrade goes live.

For Employee Self-Service Users, your virtual session will take place on Tuesday, August 22, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM. Please click this link to register.

For Human Resources Portal Users, your virtual session will take place on Tuesday, August 22, 2023 from 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM. Please click this link to register.

Please note session registration will close at 8 AM on Tuesday, August 22, 2023.

Additionally, in preparation for going live with our new website and system upgrade, the RCUH Human Resources online systems will be down from Friday August 25, 2023 at 6pm to Sunday August 27, 2023 at noon (HST).

This will include:

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

We will continue to explore ways to improve our system and the user experience.

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