Summer youth employees still waiting for paychecks

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The 2021 Summer Youth Employment Program has been touted as having the largest number of students ever. A June release from the Governor’s office put the number of participants at 1500.

However, the participants have not received a paycheck. Deputy Director of Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) Program at the Department of Human Resources Faagau Steve Lefiti says a discrepancy is the reason for the delay in paying the youth participants. Though he did not provide details.

KHJ News talked to some of the youth employees in training at the EOB yesterday. They said the discrepancy was that the wrong hourly rate was used for their paychecks. Since they started working on June 20th, the former hourly rate of $5.25 per hour should have been used for their first paychecks.  However, the new rate of $7.25 per hour which was only became effective July 1st was used for the hours worked in June.

The young workers have been told that they will get their first paychecks Friday and then their second and final checks will be issued before the program ends August 13th.

Lefiti said there will be a block party for the participants at the stadium tomorrow where their checks will be distributed. Initially, the program was to be for six weeks but it has been extended to August 13th.   The new school year starts the following week.