The state will have to pay $449 million to compensate government employees for coming to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Hawaiʻi Government Employees Association accepted the state’s settlement offer for pandemic hazard pay.
The cost is about $150 million over previous estimates by the Department of Budget and Finance.
There are two tiers of compensation for government employees who worked in person between March 2020 and March 2022.
Those who worked in person for over 420 days could receive $20,000. Those who worked less than that could receive $10,000.
The settlement covers about 16,000 employees, although the eligibility for compensation for each person and the tier determination is still being resolved.
Gov. Josh Green wrote to lawmakers laying out the costs for the settlement. He requested that it be added to a measure being considered at the Legislature to account for hazard pay.
According to the governor’s breakdown of funding, a bulk of it will come from general funds in fiscal year 2025, which starts on July 1.
The measure will be heard in a conference committee Friday. That’s where members of both chambers meet to negotiate amendments to bills. It’s one of the final steps of the legislative process.
