STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1753

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 44

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Tourism and Government Operations and Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 44 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT TO STUDY WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Human Resources Development to conduct a study of workplace flexibility options, including:

     (1)  Data on the agencies, departments, and employees that participate in the program;

     (2)  Data on the workplace flexibility options chosen by participating employees;

     (3)  Effect on employee productivity levels and employee morale;

     (4)  Estimates on the amount and cost of gasoline saved and transportation time saved by employees due to participation in the program;

     (5)  Other findings, recommendations, including proposed legislation, if any, and pertinent information about the pilot program and its impact, consequences, or benefits on participating departments or agencies; and

     (6)  Past experience of departments and agencies with utilizing workplace flexibility options.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Disability and Communication Access Board and one individual.  Comments were received from the Department of Human Resources Development.

     Section 78-1.6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, provides that the offices of the State and counties must be open for the transaction of business as determined by the chief executive.  State departments generally have the discretion to set the work hours for its employees.  State departments have some operations that serve the public face-to-face, which require normal business hours of 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or the normally accepted business.

     Your Committees find that, although flex time scheduling is permissible under state law, and certain departments and agencies currently exercise this option, very little statistical and efficacy information is available regarding its use.  This measure is the first comprehensive study of various flex time practices in state departments.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Tourism and Government Operations and Judiciary and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 44 and recommend its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Tourism and Government Operations and Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________ CLAYTON HEE, Chair

____________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair