Laserfiche WebLink
Merit Board of Appeals <br />October 15, 2014 <br />will swear on a stack of bibles that's what we need—it becomes an operations <br />decision. Can I afford to allow this person to attend versus needing them at <br />work? <br />Ms. Ota asked whether the supervisory training can be mandatory. <br />Ms. Toriano replied that she doesn't see it as being mandatory, but our role is <br />making it available. She doesn't think that her colleagues or the directors would <br />appreciate us saying that they'd have to attend, because in their mind operations <br />hold precedence. As an example, if you have one staff nurse on the floor and <br />they're scheduled for training and the other staff nurse calls in sick, you need to <br />put the body where it's needed. <br />Ms. Ota commented that at the State level, it was mandatory for those in <br />supervisory positions to attend. <br />Mr. Hermes replied that there was an academy at one point, but in the fiscal <br />downturn that entire division doesn't exist now. In speaking from experience, the <br />State, unfortunately, that function has gone away to a large degree. Business <br />decisions have put that a low priority in some of those jurisdictions. <br />Ms. Ota inquired whether HR has the funds to be able to contract out the <br />services. Ms. Toriano replied that we have a shoestring budget. <br />Mr. Hermes added that good training will cost, if we're lucky, about $1,000 a day, <br />but when you factor in travel, lodgings, and so forth—it's like a three-day event to <br />cover the entire island—so, it would be about $5,000 or greater. We would be <br />hard pressed to do one event a year—that's the kind of resources we're talking <br />about. Everyone's budget, the percentage of what salaries and wages are, has <br />increased. <br />Chair Kuewa commented that in most organizations whenever there is <br />downsizing or a decrease in funding, one of the first things to go are the training <br />and awards. <br />Mr. Hermes stated that the bread and butter, really, are the compliance matters, <br />then the processing of things which integrates with compliance. <br />Mr. Rabago wanted to address the HR evaluation form. She preferred that under <br />"Leadership" instead of adding a whole new category, to place some verbiage <br />under this heading to say, "Increased focus on customer service and training." <br />Page 12 <br />