• Hawaiian labor laws protect workers at their place of employment.hawaii beach resort image by csaba fikker from Fotolia.com
  
  The State of Hawaii has labor laws designed to protect workers on the job from unsafe environments and unfair labor practices. These laws are enforced by the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Labor laws in Hawaii regard issues such as the employment of minors, paydays and overtime. Knowing the law is an important first step toward ensuring that your legal rights as a worker are respected.
  
  

Child Labor

• Hawaiian state law restricts the hours that a minor may work throughout the week. It also restricts during what time of day a minor may work. Minors aged 14 and 15 cannot work during normal school hours, nor more than three hours in a single day, or more than 18 hours during a week if school is in session These hours increased to eight in a single day and 40 hours in a week when school is out. Minors of this age must have a meal break of at least 30 minutes for every five continuous hours that they work. There are no restrictions on the hours that a minor may work once the youth reaches his 16th birthday.
  
  

Paychecks

• Hawaiian labor law mandates that employers issue paychecks at least bimonthly. Paydays can fall no later than seven days after the end of a pay period. Employees who voluntarily separate from their employer may be paid on the next regularly scheduled payday. Employers must pay fired employees at the time of termination; if paying the employee at that time is not possible, the employer may pay the employee on the next business day.
  
  

Overtime

• Employers must pay employees in Hawaii who work more than 40 hours in a single work week at a rate of one-and-a-half times their normal rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 hours. Overtime is not required for working more than eight hours in a single day. Hawaii law allows employers to provide salaried employees with compensatory time in lieu of overtime pay. However, this compensatory time must be provided within the same work week that the overtime is worked.
  
  

Unlawful Discharge

• Hawaii law defines four reasons for which an employee may not be discharged or suspended. Specifically, employers cannot terminate employees for wage garnishments, testing positive for the use of illicit drugs, suffering an injury on the job or testifying on behalf of an industrial tribunal about workplace safety. Wrongfully terminated employees can file a complaint with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations within 30 days of termination.