Should Hawaii Tighten Its Work-From-Home Policies For State Employees? 0 Some senators want to ensure the remote workers are properly supervised and are productive.

In the fall of 2021 a group of state senators dropped in unannounced during business hours to visit the state Consumer Advocate’s office and found the lights out — literally. All but one member of the staff was working from home, senators were told.

That surprise visit along with complaints from the public and some state workers have led to sharp exchanges in the Senate Ways and Means Committee this year about telework, with senators demanding data on exactly who is working from home and why.

The issue has prompted pushback from the state’s largest public employees union. Members of the Hawaii Government Employees Association recently ratified a new telework policy that the union negotiated with the state, and more workers are now expected to ask to work from home.

Should Hawaii Tighten Its Work-From-Home Policies For State Employees?