Hawaii Worker Rights
Hawaii requires most employers to provide health insurance and temporary disability insurance, and its minimum wage is rising in steps.
- Hawaii
Pay
- Minimum wage: above the federal rate and rising in scheduled steps, reaching $18 by 2028.
- Overtime: 1.5x over 40 hours a week.
- Final pay: at the time of firing or the next working day; by the next regular payday if you quit.
- Prevailing wage: required on public works.
Breaks and leave
- Prepaid Health Care Act: most employers must provide health insurance to employees working 20 or more hours a week.
- Temporary Disability Insurance: pays partial wages when you can’t work because of a non-work injury or illness.
- Hawaii Family Leave Law: up to 4 weeks of unpaid leave a year at employers with 100 or more employees.
Unions and right-to-work
Hawaii is not a right-to-work state, so a union contract can require covered workers to pay at least a fee for representation. Private-sector workers have the right to organize under federal law. See Your Right to Organize.
Where to file
- Unpaid wages and overtime: Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Wage Standards Division.
- Discrimination and harassment: Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, or the U.S. EEOC.
- Safety: HIOSH, the state plan, covers most private and public employers.
- Work injuries: report the injury to your employer right away, in writing, and follow up with Hawaii’s workers’ compensation agency. See Workers’ Compensation.
Check current rules: this is a summary. Wage rates and labor laws change often, usually on January 1 or July 1, and cities and counties can add their own rules. Confirm details with the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations before acting. Federal protections apply too. See Where to Get Help.
Standards & references
Last updated: