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HR Director announces solution to delayed holiday pay

[SN file photo]
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The government has finally identified a course of action on how to pay ASG employees who worked during recent holidays — Flag Day, Good Friday, and Memorial Day.

Paying employees who worked during the recent holidays has been delayed due to ASG’s current financial woes.

This was noted in a June 9 memo to ASG directors and agency heads from Human Resources Director Eseneiaso J. Liu.

“We express our genuine appreciation for the patience and understanding of your hard-working employees,” Liu wrote in the memo, which was distributed to directors during last Friday’s cabinet meeting.

In collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office and the Governor’s Legal Counsel, “we have toiled to identify a course that strikes a reasonable balance between the law, ASG revenues, and said compensation,” continued Liu, who then outlined the course with which to proceed.

For employees whose salaries are funded by federal grants, the memo says they will be paid their respective wages for the hours worked. “Those hours worked on a holiday will be compensated up to an additional day’s pay,” Liu explained.

All employees paid through local revenues, who worked 8 hours on a holiday will be compensated with a paid day off, according to the memo, which also states that those employees who worked less than 8 hours will be compensated with paid time off for the amount of time worked.

“Those employees who have already taken paid time off for having worked a holiday are deemed as having received compensation for said work,” Liu said.

She requested that time keepers for departments and offices submit time cards of employees “who deserve to be compensated.”

 The time cards are to be submitted during the next regular payroll, she added.

Liu’s memo comes amid questions from several employees who worked during the three holidays — Flag Day, Good Friday and Memorial Day — wondering whether they will be paid for the hours worked or will be compensated by taking a day off.

Some of the employees, who claimed to have worked on Flag Day, have questioned why it has taken ASG so long to pay them for the holiday work.