Reemployment of Retirees

Before accepting reemployment with the County of Hawai‘i, State of Hawai‘i and County employees should contact the State of Hawai‘i Employee Retirement System (ERS) to discuss whether your appointment will affect your pension benefits.

Effective January 1, 2011, retirees seeking reemployment in State of Hawai‘i or County jobs are affected by Act 179, which requires either a 6 consecutive month or 12 consecutive month break in State and County employment, depending on the type of appointment, before an ERS retiree can return to work.

Reemployment of Civil Service Employees

Former County of Hawai‘i civil service employees may submit a written request for reemployment to the Director of Human Resources, Attention: Recruitment Examination Division, to be placed on a reemployment list for three (3) years from the date of action for any of the following conditions:

• A civil service employee is reallocated downward or demoted due to abolishment of position, lack of funds or work, or for other reasons outside the employee’ s control.
• A civil service employee is discharged due to a non -work related injury and there is no other available work which the employee is capable of performing.
• A civil service employee who resigned.
• A civil service employee retired due to years of service or disability.
• A former employee placed on the list by the Merit Appeals Board or an arbitration decision upon appeal of a dismissal.

Placement on a reemployment list shall be to positions in the class of work the former civil service employee last held permanent status or to positions in a related class of work in the same or lower pay range for which the person meets the minimum qualification requirements.

The decision to rehire a former civil service employee is at the discretion of the hiring department head. The former employee need not apply for an open - competitive recruitment to be considered by the hiring department. If rehired, the person starts as a new hire and may need to pass a pre-entry medical examination (depending on the designated position) and serve an initial probationary period.