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Minimum Wage in Hawaii

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What are the minimum wage laws in Hawaii?

Employers in the state of Hawaii are obligated to follow the same general minimum wage laws that employers in states across the U.S. need to follow. The minimum wage laws are set forth on a federal level by the Fair Labor Standards Act, which was instituted in order to guard the rights of all employees.

The way that minimum wage works is that the federal government establishes a minimum wage that sets the standard for states across the country. Each state then has the option of establishing its own minimum wage. Most states choose to set a minimum wage at a rate that is equal to or greater than the federal minimum wage; however, there are some states that have a minimum wage that is lower than the federal minimum wage.

The minimum wage rate in the state of Hawaii is $7.25 per hour. This minimum wage rate is based on a 40-hour work week. In the event that an employee works more than 40 hours in a week, the employer is required to pay that employee a premium pay rate. The premium pay rate should be greater than or equal to time-and-a-half of the standard minimum wage rate. However, with regards to overtime, if an employee earned a guaranteed monthly compensation of $2,000 or more, the employee is exempt from the Hawaii overtime law.

Employers must pay their employees at least the minimum wage rate per hour, unless the employee is exempt from that minimum wage rate requirement. The following types of employees could be exempt from the minimum wage requirement:

• Some disabled employees
• Students
• Employee-learners
• Workers under the age of 20 (for the first 90 days of employment)
• Tipped employees, as long as the tips add up to at least the minimum wage rate per hour . CB