STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1171

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

 

RE:   S.B. No. 1126

      S.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred S.B. No. 1126, S.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO JOB-SHARING FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to provide flexible employment opportunities for certain full-time, permanent employees of the State by authorizing the executive and judicial branches of government, the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Office of the Auditor, and the Office of the Ombudsman to establish voluntary, job-sharing programs.

 

     The Department of Human Resources Development submitted comments on this bill.

 

     The economic and social conditions in Hawaii over the last year have had a tremendous impact on the lives of Hawaii's residents.  The use of flexible employment opportunities, such as job-sharing, can have an extremely positive influence on the ability of working individuals to meet the changing social and economic realities of life in Hawaii.

 

     According to an auditor's report on several pilot projects, job-sharing was found to be a feasible, desirable, and cost-effective work arrangement that provided employees with the flexibility to care for children, spend more time with families, and take care of other personal needs.  These programs also increased worker productivity and improved worker morale.  Providing agencies with the ability to institute job-sharing programs at their discretion could be a means of improving government operations and retaining qualified employees.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1126, S.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair