Salaries of all University of Hawaiʻi executive-managerial (EM) employees were reduced effective November 1, 2020 in anticipation of furloughs for all state employees. The action at that time was to keep the salary reductions in effect while the furloughs were in effect for other state employees. On December 23, 2020 Gov. David Ige announced that the state employee furloughs scheduled to take effect January 1, 2021, would be deferred until at least July 1.
UH will honor its commitment to restore the salaries of its 216 EM employees when the furloughs were cancelled for the current fiscal year. While the changes in compensation require public posting, this restoration to prior salary levels, which is retroactive January 1, does not require action by the regents.
Due to the economic disruption to Hawaiʻi that is anticipated to last for at least two to four years, other tactical cost-saving measures implemented in March 2020 remain in place, along with a recognition that more will need to be done. Work is actively underway across the UH system on more strategic cost saving initiatives, academic and administrative restructuring, and development of revenue opportunities. This work is all intended to reposition UH for a more sustainable future while meeting the state’s most urgent needs for post-pandemic recovery.
The 20% salary reduction taken by UH President David Lassner, which he volunteered to take, will remain in place.
