#Jade T. Butay

Hawaiʻi’s statewide minimum wage rate will increase to $16 per hour effective Jan. 1, 2026. This marks the third step in a series of scheduled increases, culminating in a final rate of $18 per hour on Jan. 1, 2028. In addition, the 2025 Legislature enacted Act 115, establishing a minimum civil penalty of $500 for employers who violate the Wage and Hour Law.

Starting Oct. 7, the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations will implement additional tools for employers into the State Information Data Exchange System (SIDES), in partnership with the National Association of State Workforce Agencies and the US Department of Labor.