Bills for Employers to Watch in the 2025 Hawaii Legislature
Among the measures before the 2025 Hawaii Legislature of interest to employers are:
SB638: Requires employers to provide employees with paid rest periods
SB1034: Requires employers in the food service industry to allow employees an unpaid rest period of 30 consecutive minutes for each five consecutive hours of working time, effective 1/1/2026.
SB402: Adjusts Hawaii’s Workers’ Compensation Law, including establishing notice requirements for employers; requiring employers who deny the compensability of an employee’s injury to submit a written report supporting the denial to the DLIR Director within a specified period; requiring employers to furnish to the injured employee up to $10,000 for medical care, services, and supplies for the period immediately following the injury and so long as reasonably needed or until the employer files a written report with the Director denying the compensability of the injury, whichever is earlier; clarifies that failure to give an employer notice of an employee’s injury does not bar a claim for compensation if any person having authority in the interest of the employer had knowledge of the injury.
SB461: Requires the DLIR to cite employers in violation of Hawaii wage and hour law. Establishes penalties, enforcement, and appeal procedures related to orders of payment violations. Amends the state’s definition of “wage” to clarify that it means compensation for labor or services rendered by an employee regardless of how it is calculated.
HB81: Establishes a telework tax credit for small business employers who allow telework for at least 30% of their employees; applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/24.
HB158: Allows striking workers to be eligible for unemployment benefits.
HB479: Beginning 1/1/26 and each year thereafter, requires DLIR to annually calculate an adjusted tip credit amount to be effective the following January 1st. The adjusted amount shall be equal to 20% of the effective minimum wage.
HB84: Reduces the minimum wage increase beginning 1/1/2026, to $15.00 per hour and repeals certain minimum wage and tip credit increases after 1/1/2026
HB477: Repeals the definition for “registered for work” or “registration for work” and repeals the requirement to post work availability online. Amends the qualifications for unemployed individuals who are able to receive certain unemployment benefits. Beginning 4/1/2027, permits electronic notification of determinations or redeterminations of unemployment claims. Removes language that limited an individual’s ability to change a previously elected withholding status only once during a benefit year.
HB755/SB852: By 1/1/2028, requires DLIR to establish a family and medical leave insurance program and begin collecting payroll contributions to finance payment of benefits. By 1/1/2029, requires DLIR to start receiving claims and paying benefits under the program.