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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-05 MAB Monthly Divisional Activities Summary (May)MAB MONTHLY DIVISIONAL ACTIVITY REPORT – MAY 2026 Submitted by Sommer J. Tokihiro, Director, Department of Human Resources ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIVISION • Continue to process personnel action forms, Flexible Spending Plan change in status forms, and leave sharing requests. CLASSIFICATION & PAY DIVISION • Since the start of the fiscal year, ten new classes of work were created, and we are currently working on creating two new classes of work to assist with various departments’ operational needs. • Also, since the start of the fiscal year, we have amended a total of 33 existing classes of work and are working on completing two additional requests. • For this fiscal year, we have reviewed and completed 62 intent to adopt new classes of work requests from the other Jurisdictions. • We continue to work on our searchable database to summarize minimum qualification requirements and date last amended for all classes of work for the County of Hawai‘i. • We initiated the retitling of all “clerk” positions to “Office Assistant.” The title “Office Assistant” better reflects the administrative and operational support functions performed by positions in these classifications. This retitling may improve clarity for applicants and better communicate the nature of the work performed. This change also promotes greater consistency with titles used across Jurisdictions, where “Office Assistant” or similar titles are commonly used for equivalent roles. A memo was sent to all departments notifying them of the change. Also, we are retitling and making minor amendments to the Clerk I, Clerk II, and Clerk III class specifications and are actively working with the Transactions Division, Recruitment Division, and operating departments during this transition. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/ADA DIVISION • Continue to receive internal and external inquiries, complaints, and requests related to employment matters and reasonable accommodations/modifications. • Twenty-three total inquiries/complaints received in March: Five of the 23 were related to EO issues/concerns; and 18 of the 23 related to ADA reasonable accommodations/modifications, issues, and/or concerns. • Continue to work with IT and departments on WCAG 2.1 AA compliance with a new effective date of 04/26/27. • Conducted monthly Anti-Discrimination and Harassment training and the Reasonable Accommodation Module for POD’s Supervisory Program. Page 2 of 6 HEALTH & SAFETY DIVISION • Conduct Defensive Driver Training and Driver Improvement Program training for all of Parks Maintenance, at their request. • Assist Parks Maintenance with updates to their safety programs, currently Respiratory Protection. • Discussion with Parks Maintenance regarding a Bloodborne Pathogens program for staff potentially exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials through hypodermic needle litter. • Working on temporary hazard pay request received by HFD from HGEA for WSO during Kona Low storms. • Working with UPW regarding the contractually required Safety Committee. Tentative dates of meetings are June 24 and December 23, 2026. • Provided guidance to Buildings R&M regarding hazardous building materials at HPD Public Safety Building and the HPP Fire Station. • Provided guidance to Buildings R&M regarding respirable silica dust for project installing seating into concrete floor of the Hilo Council Chambers. • Participated in teleconference with HIOSH Training & Consultation for DWS Honomu Spring Box concerns and HPP Fire Station arsenic treated wood. • Participated in teleconference with State Department of Agriculture-Pesticides Branch for OSCER concerns about herbicide spraying at their worksite. • Assisted Finance VRL and Drivers’ License with emergency evacuation plan updates. • Participated in the Vehicle Licensing and Registration training seminar on 04/22/26, at their request. • Participated in National Work Zone Awareness Week (Go Orange Day) 04/22/26. • Continue forklift audits to identify deficiencies with all County-owned/operated forklifts (approx. 50% completed). Forklift training/re-certification requests have increased immensely due to the audits. • Continue discussion with Finance regarding procurement relating to union contract. • Continue to assist Animal Control with the creation of various safety programs for their personnel and facility. • Continue to work on building an Intranet accessible library in SharePoint for H&S training topics/videos, important calendar reminders, etc. • Continue to work on updating H&S policies. • Continue to work on Powered Industrial Truck/Mobile Elevated Work Platform policy. Page 3 of 6 LABOR RELATIONS DIVISION • Provide guidance and support to departments regarding the application of collective bargaining provisions, the grievance process, consultations with the unions, and other labor-related matters. • The Arbitration Award for Bargaining Unit 11 was received on March 31, 2026. In accordance with §89-11, HRS, costs to implement the award were calculated and transmitted to the Finance Department for subsequent transmittal to Council. • Attended the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration’s conference on drug and alcohol testing. Administration of the County’s drug and alcohol testing program is a major function that falls under the Labor Relations Division. Funding to attend this conference was provided by the Mass Transit Agency, through the State Department of Transportation’s Rural Transit Assistance program. • Two new grievances were filed at the Employer level regarding the same issue. The department is currently consulting with UPW on a program that may help to resolve the issues being grieved. Three Employer-level grievance decisions were issued during the month of April. • The third issue of “LR Notes” provided clarification that President Trump’s executive order to reschedule marijuana to a Schedule III drug does not, at this time, affect County drug and alcohol testing; included guidance on CBA provisions regarding the transfer of vacation and sick leave between employer jurisdictions; reminded staff of the upcoming changes to employee reimbursements for travel; and provided insight as to how new vehicle purchases may affect license requirements and minimum qualification requirements based on the vehicle’s gross vehicle weight rating. PERSONNEL & ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (POD) DIVISION • Continue to work on the Office Support Staff Conference, which will be held on May 5th and May 6th. Participants will receive training on Business Writing and Conflict Management. • In April, we partnered with Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center to bring Community Engagement Training to assist County departments with understanding how to better engage with the community. • We are also wrapping up our Mentor Program and will soon be requesting feedback from participants. • In addition to our Supervisory Training Program, in the past month, we’ve conducted one New Hire Orientation in Hilo, and a Performance Appraisal Review Training. Page 4 of 6 RECRUITMENT & EXAMINATION DIVISION Continuous Recruitment Update for April 2026 • Started with 56 continuous recruitments • Closed 10 continuous recruitments • Changed 9 recruitments to continuous recruitments • Ended with 55 continuous recruitments • Continuous recruitments decreased by 1 in April 2026 Closed • Accountant I • Accountant IV • Assistant Building Inspector • Building Inspector • Clerk III (Kailua-Kona Only) • Legal Clerk IV • Liquor Control Investigator II • Secretary to Boards/Commissions • Supervising Legal Clerk II • Water Treatment Plant Operator II Changed To Continuous • Cashier II (Kailua-Kona Only) • Community Service Worker I • Electrician • Information & Education Specialist II • Legal Clerk III • Police Documents Clerk • Tax Maps & Records Technician I • Trades Helper • Wastewater Operations Superintendent Training - The Following Training Were Conducted: • Conducting an Effective Job Interview for the members of the Fire Commission on 04/09/2026: 7 attendees. • Conducting an Effective Job Interview on 03/06/2026 and 04/15/2026: 11 attendees. • NEOGOV OHC New User Training conducted on 04/24/2026: Attendee from the Department of Liquor Control. Working On The Following To Boost Recruitment: • Attended the following career fairs/events: o 03/25/2026 – UH Hilo’s From Campus to Career – Career Fair University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, Campus Center Plaza. o 04/10/2026 – University of Hawaiʻi CC Virtual Career Fair. o 04/25/2026 – Hawaiʻi Community College Day Career Fair. (Recruitment & Examination Division continues on the next page.) Page 5 of 6 • Signed up to attend the following upcoming career fairs: o 05/01/2026 – Keaʻau High School College and Career Fair. o 05/07/2026 – West Hawaiʻi High Schools Hiring Blitz - Westin Hapuna Resort. o 05/13/2026 – Konawaena High School Hiring Blitz - Kona Hongwanji. • Radio ad campaigns with KWXX, The Wave@92FM, and Pacific Media Group began on 04/27/2026 and will run for three weeks. This month’s campaign features the Department of Parks and Recreation, which has multiple divisions with current vacancies. The ads highlight positions such as Pool Lifeguard, Recreation Technician, and Community Service Worker. Other Activities/Projects: • Recruitment staff have completed the administration and scoring of the following written examinations: Fire Fighter Recruit (Temporary) on 03/23/2026; and Police Officer I (Recruit) on 04/22/2026. • Human Resources Manager and Human Resources Specialist I assigned to Mass Transit, met with the Mass Transit Agency to discuss filling positions and vacancies on 03/24/2026. • Human Resources Manager and Human Resources Specialist I assigned to the Hawaiʻi Police Department, met with the Human Resources Program Specialist on 03/27/2026 to develop and enhance NEOGOV OHC templates, discuss alternative strategies for filling vacancies, and explore the potential use of a customized HPD-specific application template in NEOGOV. o As a follow-up, the Human Resources Director, Human Resources Manager, and the Human Resources Specialist I met with HPD on 04/29/2026 to present a customized, HPD-specific application template in NEOGOV. o This tailored application is designed to help streamline HPD’s hiring process, improve efficiency, and reduce overall time to hire. • Recruitment and Examination staff, along with the Classification and Pay staff, conducted site visits to the following departments: o Department of Parks and Recreation, Recreation Division (Skeet Range) – 04/01/2026: Staff gained a better understanding of skeet range operations and duties of the Recreation Technician position. o Department of Water Supply – 04/02/2026: Staff met with the Water Supply team to learn more about the Energy Management Analyst position. This provided insight into the role’s responsibilities, helping Recruitment staff better evaluate and screen applications. o Department of Parks and Recreation, Parks Maintenance Division – 04/24/2026: Staff observed the various types of equipment operated by Equipment Operator I, II, and III positions. This visit allowed staff to document the primary work assignments and gain a clearer understanding of each classification’s roles and responsibilities. • Recruitment and Examination staff will continue conducting monthly site visits to various County departments and agencies. These visits provide an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the work being done and gather valuable insights to support recruitment efforts. Page 6 of 6 WORKERS’ COMPENSATION DIVISION • There are 270 open workers’ compensation claims. • Claims review held with Police Department to discuss their open claims. • We are currently looking to fill our Account Clerk position. • We continue to work with our medical bill auditing contractor to address bill disputes with vendors to comply with the Workers’ Compensation Medical Fee Schedule.