§76-101 Employee-management cooperation. In the interest of effective personnel management and efficient operations of state or county government, orderly and constructive relationships shall be encouraged between government management officials and employees. Subject to the paramount requirements of the public service, employee-management cooperation must provide employees with an opportunity for meaningful participation in the formulation and implementation of policies and procedures affecting the conditions of their employment. Employee-management relations shall be consistent with the merit system, laws, and rules. They shall be facilitated through the establishment of uniform and orderly methods of communication.

(1) Membership in public employees' organizations. Employees shall have the right to join or not to join any public employees' association, organization, or union not asserting the right to strike or proposing to assist in any strike against the government.

(2) Right to petition. The right of any individual officer or employee in civil service, or any group of officers or employees, to present grievances or to petition for redress of grievances to the legislature, or any other public officer or body, shall not be denied or interfered with.

(3) Consultation. Each department shall consult its employees or employee organizations when formulating and implementing personnel policies and practices, and matters affecting working conditions that are of concern to its employees.

(4) Discussion before changes. Before changing major policies or methods of operation, each department shall notify its employees of the proposed changes. When requested by its employees, each department shall meet to discuss the proposed changes.

(5) Request for meetings. Employees may request meetings with departments to act upon subjects or disputes for which adjustments are not provided in established rules, regulations, procedures, or directives.

(6) Time for meetings. Meetings between employees and officials of the department shall be held during normal working hours. A reasonable number of full-time representatives of public employees' organizations may attend these meetings with the approval of the department.

(7) Written records. Written records may be kept of these meetings and written statements of understanding may be prepared by mutual consent of the department and its employees.

(8) Visitation. Full-time representatives of public employees' organizations may visit members of their organization at work during regular working hours to investigate grievances and to observe whether civil service rules and safety regulations are being observed; provided that they do not interfere with the normal operations of the department.

(9) The rights and privileges granted to the employees under this section shall be extended to all employees, irrespective of whether they are members of any public employees' organization or not.

(10) Elected officers of duly recognized employee organizations and employee representatives or shop stewards designated by an employee organization shall have a reasonable amount of time off during working hours to carry out the duties of their office, as determined by the employer, without loss of pay or benefits. [L 1955, c 274, pt of §1; RL 1955, §3-80; am L 1967, c 287, §1; HRS §76-101; am L 1971, c 212, §1]