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Trustees adopt temporary-assignment policy with limits, tiered pay differentials and oversight
Summary
After extended debate and an amendment, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs board approved a temporary-assignment policy that requires certification of need, prioritizes internal candidates one tier below vacancies, caps assignments at 90 days (with one optional 90‑day extension, maximum 180 days) and sets 10%/5% pay differentials.
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs board of trustees approved a policy to standardize temporary assignments (TAs) for OHA staff, adding certification and prioritization requirements, limits on duration and a tiered temporary-pay differential.
Trustee Kahele proposed the primary amendment that trustees adopted. The amendment added four guardrails: a required certification of immediate need from the supervising director or — for director/manager vacancies — the next executive leadership tier; a duration limit that the temporary assignment not exceed 90 calendar days per year with an option to extend another 90 days for operational need (no assignment may exceed 180 days); priority eligibility for OHA staff within the same division with consideration limited to employees one tier below the vacant position; and pay-differential caps of 10% for employees acting one level higher in a higher wage band and 5% for lateral (same wage band) assignments for the duration of the TA.
Corey Nakamoto, director of human resources, told trustees that employees placed on TA do not vacate their current positions and therefore return rights are operationally automatic; trustees discussed backfilling options as an administrative practice. Trustee Souza asked that an optional 90‑day extension be allowed for positions that take longer to recruit; the board adopted that approach and directed that extensions be tied to operational need (for example, ongoing recruitment efforts). Trustee Kahele and others emphasized the amendment was intended to prevent employees from serving in interim roles indefinitely and to ensure HR and administration actively recruit to fill vacancies.
The board also clarified the policy excludes executive leadership team members from eligibility and that the salary differential becomes effective on the first whole day of the temporary assignment and ends upon completion of the assignment. The final motion as read into the record said the policy covers FY26 and FY27 temporary-assignment salary differentials for all employees excluding executive leadership.
On roll call the motion passed with recorded ayes; trustees asked administration to return with implementation details and to incorporate the TA policy into the employee handbook and related administrative agreements.
The adopted language will be used administratively to (1) certify TA need, (2) set eligibility and priority for TA selection, (3) limit TA duration to encourage prompt recruitment and (4) standardize pay differentials when staff temporarily assume higher duties.
