WORKERS' COMPENSATION HEARINGS OFFICER V - DOWNTOWN, OAHU

State of Hawai'i; Hawaii; On-site; USD 75,000 - 91,000; Full time

Job summary

State of Hawai'i seeks a Workers’ Compensation Hearings Officer V in Downtown Honolulu, Oahu. The position is full-time and involves conducting administrative hearings and determining workers’ compensation benefits.

Salary ranges from $6,728 to $8,187 per month (SR-26, Step D to I); hiring depends on funds and qualifications. Requires a four-year degree and two years specialized plus 1.5 years general experience; note that clerical work is not qualifying.

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor’s degree.
• The education or experience background must demonstrate the ability to write clear and comprehensive reports; read and interpret complex written material; and solve complex problems logically and systematically.
• Overall paid or unpaid experience must demonstrate ability to elicit information orally and in writing, apply problem solving methods and prepare clear written reports.
• Note: Your calculation of experience must be based on full-time, 40-hour work weeks. Part-time experience must be pro-rated.

Responsibilities

• Independently performs difficult workers’ compensation claims examination for the determination of workers’ compensation benefits, requiring the conduct of administrative hearings.
• Makes a variety of determinations and provides consultative services to representatives of claimants, insurance carriers and employers; and performs other duties as required.

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Recruitment Number

DLIR-2027-008 - Position is full-time and located in Downtown Honolulu, Oahu.

THIS JOB POSTING WILL REMAIN OPEN UNTIL 15 APPLICATIONS ARE RECEIVED.

Salary

Workers' Compensation Hearings Officer V - $6,728 to $8,187 monthly (SR-26, Step D to I)

Hiring rates will be based on availability of funds, the applicant's qualifications, and other relevant factors.

Independently performs difficult workers’ compensation claims examination for the determination of workers’ compensation benefits, requiring the conduct of administrative hearings; makes a variety of determinations; provides consultative services regarding workers’ compensation matters to representatives of claimants, insurance carriers and employers; and performs other duties as required.

To qualify, you must meet all of the following requirements:

Legal Authorization to Work

The State of Hawaii requires all persons seeking employment with the government of the State shall be citizens, nationals, or permanent resident aliens of the United States, or eligible under federal law for unrestricted employment in the United States.

Applicants must meet all the requirements for the position they are seeking as of the date of the application, unless otherwise specified. Please note that unless specifically indicated, the required education and experience may not be gained concurrently.

Your possession of the required amount of experience will not in itself be accepted as proof of qualification for the position. Overall paid or unpaid experience must be of such scope and responsibility as to conclusively demonstrate that you have the ability to perform the duties of the position.

Note: Your calculation of experience must be based on full-time, 40-hour work weeks. Part-time experience must be pro-rated. Example: Twelve (12) months of experience at 20 hours/week is equivalent to six (6) months of experience, not one (1) year. Also, hours worked in excess of 40 hours/week will not be credited. Example: Twelve (12) months of experience at 60 hours/week is equivalent to one (1) year of experience, not one and a half (1 ½) years.

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT

Graduation from an accredited four (4) year college or university with a bachelor’s degree.

Excess work experience as described below in the General or Specialized Experience sections, or any other responsible administrative, professional, or analytical work experience that provided knowledge, skills and abilities comparable to those acquired in four (4) years of successful study while completing a college or university curriculum leading to a baccalaureate degree may be substituted on a year-for-year basis. To be acceptable, the experience must have been of such scope, level and quality as to assure the possession of comparable knowledge, skills and abilities.

The education or experience background must also demonstrate the ability to write clear and comprehensive reports and other documents; read and interpret complex written material; and solve complex problems logically and systematically.

GENERAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT

One and a half (1 ½) years general experience required.

General experience is demonstrated by progressively responsible professional, investigative, or other analytical work which involved gathering, evaluating and analyzing facts and other pertinent information; identifying, evaluating and analyzing issues involved; interpreting and applying provisions of the Hawaii State Workers’ Compensation laws, rules and regulations to determine appropriate courses of action; and recommending courses of action. Such experience must have demonstrated the ability to elicit information orally and in writing, apply problem solving methods and techniques, and prepare clear and concise written reports of facts, issues, application of the law and recommendations for action.

Examples of such experience include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Active participation in the examination and determination of disfigurement and/or disability awards for workers’ compensation claims.
• Enforcement of workers’ compensation laws, rules and regulations by investigating and examining employers financial records and/or related personnel records, interviewing employers, employees or others; identification of violations or lack of alleged violations and preparing reports recommending action; and
• Representation of self-insured employer, insurance carrier, employee or other party, as a regular work assignment, regarding claims for workers’ compensation benefits and awards which involved review of pertinent case documents, determination of issues and advocacy of the clients’ position relative to the case.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT

Two (2) years specialized experience required.

Progressively responsible professional experience of the kind and nature described under General Experience, above, which involved examination of claims for workers’ compensation benefits and awards which included conducting administrative hearings for determination of awards or participating in administrative hearings as an advocate of the client, self-insured employer or insurance carrier, or other interested party as a regular work assignment. For the class Workers’ Compensation Hearings Officer V, at least two (2) years of experience must have been comparable in scope and difficulty to Workers’ Compensation Hearings Officer Ill in the State service.

NON-QUALIFYING EXPERIENCE

Clerical work experience, although it may be in the field of workers' compensation, is not qualifying.

SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

Excess Specialized Experience of the type and quality described may be substituted for the required General Experience on a year-for-year basis.

DISABILITY AND REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

The State of Hawai'i complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodations in completing an application, any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the selection process, please call 808-586-9084 for assistance.

PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS (PSLF) PROGRAM

The PSLF Program is a federal program that is intended to encourage individuals to work in public service by forgiving the balance of their federal student loans. To qualify, the individual must have made 120 qualifying payments while employed by a qualifying employer. For more information, please click: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation

ELECTRONIC NOTIFICATION TO APPLICANTS

The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) will use electronic mail (email) to notify applicants of important information relating to the status and processing of their applications as part of our ongoing efforts to increase operational efficiency, promote the conservation of green resources, and minimize delays and costs.

Please ensure that the email address and contact information you provide is current, secure, and readily accessible to you. We will not be responsible in any way if you do not receive our emails or fail to check your email-box in a timely manner. In addition, please be aware that you may no longer receive notification about applications submitted if you choose to disable the Job Application Emails feature in your Account Settings.

TESTING INFORMATION

The examination for this recruitment will be conducted on an unassembled basis where the examination score is based on an evaluation and rating of your education and experience. It is therefore important that your employment application provide a clear and detailed description of the duties and responsibilities of each position you held.

In-person interviews and/or further testing in Hawaii may be required at the discretion of the hiring agency. If in-person interviews and/or further testing is a requirement, applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements and are referred to the vacancy must be available to participate in person and at their own expense in this required phase of the selection process.