Bill > SB343

This bill seeks to reinstate provisions for temporary hazard pay for public employees in Hawaii, addressing inequities exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation would allow the Director of Human Resources Development (for state employees) and county directors of civil service (for county employees) to grant pay differentials to employees temporarily exposed to unusually hazardous working conditions, with approval from the Civil Service Commission. These hazard pay supplements can be up to 25% of the minimum salary range for a position and would last for up to six months, with potential renewal. The bill acknowledges that during the pandemic, many public employees, including first responders, healthcare workers, essential workers, teachers, and university faculty, risked their health by continuing to work, but some were unable to receive hazard pay due to gaps in their collective bargaining agreements. By adding this new section to Hawaii Revised Statutes, the bill aims to ensure more equitable treatment of public employees during extraordinary circumstances, with the pay differential subject to fiscal certification of available funds. The legislation restores language similar to a previously repealed statute and is designed to provide flexibility in compensating workers during future infectious disease threats or other hazardous situations.

Labor and Employment

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=343&year=2026