HGEA Executive Director Randy Perreira issued the following statement:
“While their official line is that they support telework, recent snipes from senators suggest that they would rather have government workers operating like it’s 1984. Meanwhile, their workforce — and the younger generation of workers who government so desperately needs to recruit in its worsening vacancy crisis — are living in 2024.
“I find it unconscionable that they are questioning the integrity of the workforce. Our members work extraordinarily hard at a time when offices may be understaffed by as much as 50%. They shouldn’t be criticized when they happen to work remotely a few days a week. Some of the ridiculous management suggestions brought up by senators during committee hearings will only hinder productivity, demoralize employees, and waste taxpayer money. The public will not get better service from us paying millions for monitoring systems that do not work and surprising remote workers with home visits. I don’t have to knock on the doors of my employees to know if they’re meeting deadlines. Any good manager knows that you focus on whether the work gets done, not where it’s being done.
“I certainly hope the senate gets off this nonsense and accepts the reality that they have a hardworking workforce that deserves better treatment. Lawmakers should stick to their jobs — surely there are more pressing issues for them to address than micromanaging the work of directors and supervisors.”
-pau-
Media Contacts:
Malulani Moreno
Communications Manager
(808) 543-0047
mmoreno@hgea.org
Kristina Lum
Senior Communications Specialist
(808) 543-0063
klum@hgea.org