In a ‘hard to compete’ labor market, Honolulu aims to test flexible work schedules and telework options to see if these changes can improve employment.
Officials have decided to implement a test program in the hopes of luring additional workers and filling the thousands of open positions. The purpose of this initiative is to broaden and better define the city's alternatives for different work schedules, and one of the options that is being promoted is telework, in addition to flexible schedules for many of the city's employees. Seven different agencies and departments in Honolulu, including the Board of Water Supply and the Department of Customer Services, will put the program through its paces during the testing phase.
Amy Asselbaye, executive director of the Office of Economic Revitalization, described it as a test initiative with the goal of expanding and better defining the city's possibilities for alternative work schedules.
"It's a pilot program," she said. Even though the program will technically start on Tuesday, any modifications to the schedule won't take effect until the next fiscal year begins in July. She stated that the city will keep a close eye on the program to determine whether or not the provision of alternative work opportunities increases employment.
"We are interested in acquiring a data set," Asselbaye said. "We want to be accountable."
It is difficult to compete in this labor scarcity, according to Nola Miyasaki, director of Human Resources at the company, who added that job applicants are looking for other choices.
“Every edge that we can get would be great," Miyasaki said.
There were 1,831 open vacancies in the city as of March 2022. The program's goal is to alleviate the substantial labor shortage that exists there. Although the city had only gained 17 workers as of the end of the previous month, this did reflect a reversal of a trend that had been occurring during the previous five years, which was a tendency of losing workers. Over 7,000 city employees would be needed to operate at full capacity, but as of right now, more than 3,700 of them are telecommuting or operating under flexible schedules.
The pilot program is not the only attempt being undertaken in an effort to find a solution to the lack of available workers. Prosecuting Attorney, Steve Alm proposed accelerating the hiring process for college graduates to fill specific positions, particularly paralegal duties, because these positions are difficult to fill. Alm is hoping to form a partnership with Kapiolani Community College to provide recent graduates with the opportunity to gain that experience in his office.
“People have to have five years of legal experience," he said. "That’s really hard to get.”
As part of his plan for the budget, Alm is also asking for the establishment of a new entry-level paralegal post. He intends to hire recently graduated individuals for this role so that they can gather experience before going ahead. Even though first responder agencies are not included in the pilot program or the number of open positions, the program is nonetheless a significant initiative in a city that is having trouble attracting and keeping staff.