THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	89
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

Requesting the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to CONVENe A Four-Day Work Week Task Force to evaluate how more flexible work hours and a four-day work week can be implemented for public Employees in Hawaii.

 

 

        WHEREAS, a five-day, forty-hour work week is the standard work week among the majority of employers across the nation; and

 

        WHEREAS, due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, many employers and employees were forced to adapt to new flexible working conditions; and

 

        WHEREAS, the transition from traditional working conditions to more flexible conditions has encouraged many employers to prioritize the importance of their employees' health and work-life balance; and

 

        WHEREAS, many employers adjusted their traditional working conditions, which resulted in increased employee satisfaction; and

 

        WHEREAS, long work hours are linked to heart disease, stroke, and depression; and

 

        WHEREAS, in 2008, the Department of Human Resources Development participated in a four-day work week pilot project for three months, followed by participation by the Department of Health for eight weeks, through which the departments evaluated employee productivity, morale, and quality of life of those who worked forty hours a week from Monday through Thursday; and

 

        WHEREAS, the pilot project found that the Department of Human Resources Development's offices at the State Office Tower and the Department of Health's offices at the Kinau Hale Building saved approximately six and thirteen percent in energy costs, respectively; and

 

        WHEREAS, the pilot project results estimated that fifty-one percent of Department of Human Resources Development employees and forty percent of Department of Health employees did not use their automobiles during peak traffic hours on their Fridays off; and

 

        WHEREAS, in 2008, Utah became the first state to mandate a four-day work week for state employees, which resulted in the state saving $502,000 annually, state employees taking significantly less leave, and a reduction in Friday commuters and energy costs that cut carbon dioxide levels in the local air; and

 

        WHEREAS, Brigham Young University researchers found that four-day work week employees in Utah reported being more satisfied with   their jobs, compensation, benefits, and were less likely to look for employment elsewhere; and

 

        WHEREAS, according to a survey conducted in the United Kingdom by the Henley Business School in 2019, businesses that offer a four-day work week as part of their employee package found a variety of benefits, including improved ability to attract and retain talent, increase in overall employee satisfaction, lower employee sickness levels, and increased productivity, which contribute to cost-effective operation, and the combined savings from the implementation of a four-day work week by businesses in the United Kingdom is already as high as  92,000,000,000 a year; and

 

        WHEREAS, in 2019, Microsoft Japan conducted a four-day week pilot project, which found that employees took twenty-five percent less time off, productivity rose by forty percent, and electricity usage decreased by twenty-three percent; and

 

        WHEREAS, these trials establish that a four-day work week can provide numerous benefits to the economy, environment, employers, and employee satisfaction; and

 

        WHEREAS, a four-day work week could increase employee's productivity, happiness, and time to attend to personal or family needs, and reduce levels of stress, overwork, burnout, and underemployment; and

 

        WHEREAS, a four-day work week could benefit the environment and decrease expenses, as it would reduce energy cost and congestion on the road; and

 

        WHEREAS, given the potential benefits, the State should   evaluate how a four-day work week can be implemented for employees to reduce energy costs, reduce carbon dioxide and congestion from the road, and improve the overall work-life balance and well-being of employees; now, therefore,

 

        BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, that the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations is requested to convene a Four-Day Work Week Task Force to evaluate how a four-day work week can be implemented for public employees in the State to improve their quality of work, health, and lifestyle; and

 

        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Four-Day Work Week Task Force is requested to consist of the following members or their designees:

 

        (1)   Director of Labor and Industrial Relations, to serve as the chairperson;

 

        (2)   Director of Human Resources Development;

 

        (3)   Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism;

 

        (4)   Director of Health;

 

        (5)   One member from the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization;

 

        (6)   One member from the Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; and

 

        (7)   One member from the United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO; and

 

        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Four-Day Work Week Task Force is requested to:

 

        (1)   Review and assess studies, projects, and health benefits related to a four-day work week that is comparative to Hawaii's needs;

 

        (2)   Review and evaluate how the State can provide more flexible work hours and a four-day work week for its employees who wish to partake in the option to work non-traditional hours;

 

        (3)   Examine and identify barriers to creating and implementing a four-day work week; and

 

        (4)   Recommend procedures that the State should adopt and follow to successfully provide its employees with the options of more flexible work hours and a four-day work week; and

 

        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Four-Day Work Week Task Force is requested to submit a report of the actions taken and progress made by the Task Force, including its findings and recommendations, proposed legislation, and requests of recommended amounts of funds to be appropriated, to the Legislature no later than December 1, 2023; and

 

        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Four-Day Work Week Task Force is requested to dissolve on June 30, 2024; and

 

        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations; Director of Human Resources Development; Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Director of Health; Director of the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization; Executive Director of the Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; and State Director of the United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:  

Four-Day Work Week Task Force; Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Department of Human Resources Development; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO); Hawaii Government Employees Association; United Public Workers