Stop Making New Years’ Resolutions

Quite the Welcome: New Employees Get the Low Down at Orientation

The DOT held its second New Employee Orientation on Friday, January 10, 2020.

The first was in August on Maui. The venue – at Harbor’s pier 19, the former ferry terminal – was the setting for the roughly 80 new employees and around ten support staff from Airports, Harbors, Highways and Administration.

Presenters were led by Director Jade Butay and Deputy Director Lynn Araki-Regan, followed by invited guests from the Hawaii Employer-Union Trust Fund, Employees’ Retirement System, the Hawaii State Federal Credit Union (HSFCU), and Prudential Island Savings.

Civil Rights, Computer Systems & Services (CSS), and Personnel offices also made presentations in their subject areas.

In this orientation, new employees were also provided an opportunity to meet and sign up for union membership.

By: Rey Domingo

UPW’s Michelle Hebblethwaite and HGEA’s Tom Tsuhako held sessions after the orientation program with potential new union members.

Civil Rights presented DOT’s policies on a harassment-free workplace and discrimination; CSS focused on the department’s policy on the proper use of computers; and Personnel highlighted the DOT’s mission and objects, as well as standards of conduct employees must follow. opened a lot of accounts that day!” said Kathy Higa, HSFCU.

“The NEO (New Employee Orientation) was well organized where we were one side of the room and HGEA was on the other side. Mahalo!” said Hebblethwaite.

“Planning an event like this is no easy task and I want to especially recognize Juli Chun and Michelle Saito, who stepped up to help when Juli, who was the main planner, could not be present at the orientation,” said Lynn ArakiRegan.

The next employee orientation is being planned for a neighbor island.