As cabinet directors of the Executive Branch prepare to hand in their letters of resignation, or have already done so, by later next week, Lt. Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga has called on directors to refrain from making personnel changes to their workforce during the transition period into the new four-term term.

Local law requires directors, who are political appointees, to submit resignations before the term ends and prepare for the new term or a new administration to take over.

The Lolo Administration, after being reelected in the Nov. 8th general election, will be taking over the ASG leadership reins for a second, consecutive-four year term at 12 noon on Jan. 3, 2017, which is also when their current four-year term ends.

At last Friday’s cabinet meeting, Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga reminded directors that they have until Dec. 15 to hand in their resignation letters as the administration transitions into a new four-year term.

Also at the cabinet meeting, Lemanu told directors that while changes are always made when there is a change in administration, he said directors should remember to not make changes, such as promotions for their personnel.

He said by making such changes — like promotions — while the director has handed in a resignation letter, a “fight” might happen with the employee if the promotion don’t happen as promised by the director, who has since resigned and is resting at home.

Additionally, he told directors to not make changes to positions of personnel within the department, noting that changes made by an out-going directors could end up being a problem faced by the administration.

Lemanu asked directors “to be patient” when it comes to personnel and don’t make changes.

“If you, the director, return, based on the outcome of the governor’s decision, the department remains the same,” he said. “But if a director does not return, the next director comes in and things are working out well.”

He reiterated to directors: Do not make changes to personnel on “the last day, last hour, last minute,” and reminded them of the “hiring process” that all departments must use.

While Lemanu didn’t elaborate further, a recent letter from the governor to directors was circulated at the cabinet meeting, as a reminder. The letter was the governor’s response to “public criticism” on ASG hiring practices that “is becoming an issue of grave concern.”

Lolo said it’s the responsibility of the director to be knowledgeable and be compliant with all Human Resources Rules and Regulations.

“The established recruitment and hiring rules and regulations afford you the authority to make final decision on the person to hire,” the governor wrote to directors. “However, you do not have the authority to pre-select or quote the salary to anyone seeking employment with your department or office.”

Lolo reminded directors that setting a salary is the responsibility of the Human Resource Department director and that “prevailing human resources rules and regulations prohibits you from putting a person to work without going through the recruitment and hiring process.”

According to the governor, directors “have been reminded often” by DHR on the scope of a director’s authority when it comes to recruitment and hiring.

“To truncate the process and to preclude public criticism over the government’s recruitment and hiring practices,” the governor said that any personnel action will first be routed to the Budget and Planning office with required documents for approval based on available funds before it goes to DHR for processing.

“If your request is denied by the Budget Office due to budget insufficiency, it will not be processed unless approved at the executive level,” he said.