Teamwork Gets the Job Done
PSD payroll super heroes gather with several members of the HawaiiPay project team. In the front row, from left: Jenn Jerviss-Apo, Anita Clement, Tricia Jacalne, and Jacqueline Mau. In the middle row: Clifford Asato, Pat Miyasawa, Monroe Spears, Rorry Nakayama, and Christina Hanse. In the back row: Debra Gagne, Bill Hansen, Kurt Muraoka, and Kathy Fry.
“Two heads are better than one.” We’ve all heard the old adage encouraging teamwork, but what does working together really look like in action? Public Safety Department (PSD) Fiscal Officer Clifford Asato can show you that a good team has a strong working relationship based on trust, is committed to a common purpose, and stays involved until the job is done.
The PSD Fiscal Office supports the entire department by providing fiscal management services through accounting payroll and vouchering. PSD as a department is comprised of the Administrative, Corrections and Law Enforcement Divisions. The Administrative Division includes the Administrative Services Office, the Fiscal Office, the Personnel Management Office, and the Training and Staff Development Office. The Administrative Division also oversees the Corrections Division, which includes four jails and four prisons, and the Law Enforcement Division, which includes the Narcotics Enforcement and Sheriffs Divisions.
The PSD Fiscal Office payroll team, which consists of four pre-audit clerks and a supervisor, processes all payroll transactions for the department and its attached agencies. They process approximately 2,300-2,400 payroll checks every pay period.
Like many state agencies, the PSD payroll team had vacancies in 2015 and associated backlogs in their work due to the reduction in available manpower. However, when faced with an increased workload resulting from payroll raises for government employee bargaining units (BU) — including BU09, BU10, BU01, BU03 and BU13 — the payroll team tackled the obstacle by relying on one another and working together as a team.
The PSD payroll team has learned that wins and losses affect everyone. They know that working toward achieving department goals allows them to feel connected enterprise-wide. The PSD payroll super heroes are unified in their eagerness to “team up” with the HawaiiPay project team and to help contribute to the success of the HawaiiPay project.
Read more in the March 2017 edition of HawaiiPay News.