Walmart tests new employee dress code

BENTONVILLE, Ark. >> Retail giant Walmart is testing a new dress code that gives employees more freedom.

Under the pilot program at fewer than 100 stores, workers can wear solid-color bluejeans instead of khaki-colored or black denim pants. They also can wear a solid-color shirt of their choosing instead of solid-blue or white shirts.

Corporate communications director Justin Rushing says Walmart is always listening to its associates and that their feedback helps test these kinds of ideas. There is no end date for the test. The pilot program will continue until the company feels it has gathered enough information.

Walmart revised its dress code in 2015 when it permitted employees with physically demanding jobs to wear T-shirts.

Alaska Airlines adopts tougher animal policy

Responding to a rash of incidents involving animals on planes, Alaska Airlines plans to impose new requirements for passengers flying with emotional support animals.

Starting May 1 the Seattle-based carrier will require passengers who want to travel with emotional support animals to provide proof that the animal is healthy, well behaved and needed to support the flyer during the flight.

The change comes soon after Delta and United Airlines both adopted similar requirements, which took effect March 1.

Delta and Alaska both have cited a recent surge in incidents involving animals on planes.

Delta said it adopted the new policy in response to an 84 percent increase in animal incidents since 2016, including animals urinating, defecating, biting, barking and lunging on planes. A Delta passenger was mauled by a 50-pound dog on a flight from Atlanta to San Diego last year.

Alaska carries about 150 emotional support and service animals daily and has been noting problems almost weekly.

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ON THE MOVE

First Hawaiian Bank has announced the following promotions:

>> Neill Char has been promoted to executive vice president as well as manager of the Private Banking and Wealth Advisory Division. He has 24 years’ experience in the financial industry.

>> Darlene Blakeney has been appointed president of First Hawaiian Leasing as well as promoted to senior vice president of corporate banking. Blake­ney has 21 years’ experience in the finance and banking industry.

>> Martha Camacho has been promoted to senior vice president and Waipahu area manager. She will oversee the Ewa Beach, Kapolei and Waianae branches as well as manage the Waipahu Branch. In 2001 she became business banking officer for the Main Banking Center Team in Honolulu.

>> Alyssa Hostelley has been promoted to senior vice president as well as division manager of the Business Services Division. She will manage and lead First Hawaiian’s Cash Management and Merchant Services in developing services and products for retail business customers. Hostelley became a part of the bank when she joined FHB in 2014. She also has 29 years of experience in IT projects, managing products and customer services.

Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald has appointed Kirstin M. Hamman to the District Court of the Second Circuit (Island of Maui). It was a seat that became vacant due to the Honorable Keith E. Tanaka’s recent retirement. Hamman has served as a part-time District Court judge as of July 2014, and she also has her own private practice and specializes in special-education law as well as family law. She previously was an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, Maui Office of Council Services and Public Defender’s Office.

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