Senate resolution calls to reinstate two boards needed to assist HR

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A Senate resolution sponsored by Sen. Utu Sila Poasa calls on the governor to reinstate the ASG Personnel Advisory Board and the Wage and Hour Board to assist the Human Resources Department over issues raised through the governor’s Corrective Personnel Action directive — known as the ‘roll back’ memo — issued last month.

The resolution was introduced Wednesday, and Utu explained that the new measure is to assist DHR, which is currently conducting a review of personnel records, based on the governor’s Feb. 5th, which orders the roll-back of pay adjustments made without justification in the budget as well as converting contract workers to career service employees without going through the merit process — since Jan. 1, 2019 to the present.

According to the resolution, local law creates a Personnel Advisory Board consisting of seven members appointed by the governor. And the board’s primary responsibilities are to:

• investigate and make recommendations for improvements to the governor with regards to the manpower resources requirements, needs and development of ASG

• develop programs designed to improve effectiveness of government employees’ performance and discharge of their duties and responsibilities;

• investigate personnel problems in government and report to the governor their findings and recommendations

Another provision of the law states that the DHR director assists the board in investigating problems in the government.

The resolution also points to another provision of current law, which outlines the grounds for demotion, suspension, or removal:

• below standard job performance

• misconduct on the job

• misconduct off the job which reflects adversely on the government

• conviction of a felon

• sentence to prison for 0 days or more upon conviction of a crime

• violation of standards administratively, which govern employee conduct and department, including but not limited to, the proper use and penalty for misuse of government property.

The law also notes that recommendation for demotion or termination shall be made in writing by the Personnel Advisory Board to the DHR director.

Under the law, which creates the Wage and Hour Board, the panel has five members including members appointed by the House and Senate. Duties and responsibilities of this board are to prepare and promulgate rules regarding wage and hours for ASG employees, pursuant to the governor’s approval.

The Senate resolution points out that these two boards — Personnel Advisory and the Wage and House — “are instrumental in establishing and managing” most of the issues concerning human resources, including those currently being raised by ASG employees as a result of the governor’s Feb. 5th memo.

It also says that these two boards have been under-utilized for the past years and it’s time to re-instate both boards and allow them to do their jobs.

The resolution states that the Senate will schedule a future hearing to discuss the governor’s memo and its implementation after the two boards have turned in a copy of their report to the Senate.

The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on Wednesday this week held a hearing on the governor’s Feb. 5th memo. Because DHR has an ongoing investigation and review of issues cited in the governor’s memo, the committee opted to conduct another hearing in the future at which time, they hope DHR has completed its review and provided reports requested by the Senate. (See yesterday’s Samoa News online for details.)