You did it! You survived the busy holiday season. If you’re a business owner, you may have missed some important labor law changes that are affecting our state. We’ve partnered with ALTRES to ensure your business is set for the new year.
Effective January 1, 2024 Hawaii’s minimum wage increased to $14 an hour. Tipped employees may be paid up to $1.25 less per hour if wages plus tips equal $21.00 or more per hour through December 31, 2025. Keep in mind that minimum wage is scheduled to increase again in 2026 and 2028.
Hawaii has joined the growing list of states to pass a pay transparency law. Under Act 203, Hawaii employers with 50 or more employees will be required to disclose pay rates in job listings starting January 1, 2024.
Any business or entity that files ten or more forms for a single tax year will be required to file electronically with the IRS. The “ten-or-more” threshold applies to the total number of forms filed in a calendar year, regardless of form types. For example, an employer that files eight W-2 forms plus two 1099 forms for the 2023 tax year will be required to file those returns electronically with the IRS in 2024
because the total number of covered forms meets the new threshold of ten forms.
File 1099 series information returns through the IRS’ FREE online portal , and file Forms W-2 online with the Social Security Administration.
Effective April 28, 2023, nursing mothers received federal protections under the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act (“PUMP Act”). This new law expands employer obligations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and provides more expansive remedies if an employer violates workers’ rights under the Act.
Hawaii employers are not largely affected since Hawaii Act 249, the state law protecting breastfeeding workers that went into effect in 2013, is more stringent than the federal PUMP Act.
Effective June 27, 2023, covered employers with 15 or more employees are required to provide “reasonable accommodations” to workers for “known limitations” related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions unless the accommodation will cause the employer an “undue hardship.” PWFA expanded Hawaii’s pregnancy discrimination law, and it is being enforced by the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Staying on top of federal and state employment laws can feel like a full-time job. That’s where ALTRES’ team of HR experts can help. They monitor labor law updates so you can spend more time focusing on what you do best, running your business. Learn more about how ALTRES can help your business by visiting altres.com.