As used in this chapter, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

“Appointing authority” means a department head or designee having the power to make appointments or changes in the status of employees.

“Chief executive” means the governor, the respective mayors, the chief justice of the supreme court, and the chief executive officer of the Hawaii health systems corporation. It may include the superintendent of education and the president of the University of Hawaii with respect to their employees on any matter that applies to employees in general, including employees who are not covered by this chapter.

“Civil service” includes all positions within a jurisdiction that are not exempted by § 46-33, 76-16, or 76-77, or by other law and must be filled through civil service recruitment procedures based on merit.

“Civil service employee” means an employee who has met all requirements for membership in the civil service under § 76-27.

“Class” means a group of positions that reflect sufficiently similar duties and responsibilities such that the same title and the same pay range may apply to each position allocated to the class.

“Classification system” means classes of positions arranged in a logical and systematic order.

“Day” means a calendar day unless otherwise specified.

“Department” means any department, board, commission, or agency of a jurisdiction.

“Director” means the head of the central personnel agency for a jurisdiction regardless of title, whether it is the director of human resources development, director of personnel, director of personnel services, or personnel director.

“Employee” or “public employee” means any person holding a position in the service of a jurisdiction, irrespective of status or type of appointment; provided that, if the context clearly applies only to an employee who is a member of the civil service, “employee” means a civil service employee.

“Employer” or “public employer” means the governor in the case of the State, the respective mayors in the case of the counties, the chief justice of the supreme court in the case of the judiciary, the board of education in the case of the department of education, the board of regents in the case of the University of Hawaii, the Hawaii health systems corporation board in the case of the Hawaii health systems corporation, and any individual who represents one of the employers or acts in their interest in dealing with public employees. In the case of the judiciary, the administrative director of the courts shall be the employer in lieu of the chief justice for purposes which the chief justice determines would be prudent or necessary to avoid conflict.

“Exclusive representative” means the employee organization certified by the board under section 89-8 as the collective bargaining agent to represent all employees in an appropriate bargaining unit without discrimination and without regard to employee organization membership.

“Jurisdiction” means the State, the city and county of Honolulu, the county of Hawaii, the county of Maui, the county of Kauai, the judiciary, the department of education, the University of Hawaii, and the Hawaii health systems corporation.

“Legislative body” means the legislature in the case of the State, including the judiciary, the department of education, the University of Hawaii, and the Hawaii health systems corporation; the city council in the case of the city and county of Honolulu; and the respective county councils in the case of the counties of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai.

“Merit appeals board” means a jurisdiction’s appellate body for purposes of section 76-14 regardless of whether it is named merit appeals board, civil service commission, or appeals board.

“Position” means a specific job requiring the full or part-time employment of one person.