On November 5, 2025, the U.S. Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service issued Notice 2025-62, which relieves employers from penalties relating to certain reporting requirements under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The OBBBA requires employers to comply with reporting requirements relating to qualified tips, tipped occupations, and
The Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) released the 2026 Form HC-5, which is also available on the Disability Compensation Division’s Forms website. Employees wanting to waive health insurance benefits must complete the applicable Form HC-5 each calendar year. For employees who waived coverage last year, employers should
HR teams carry significant responsibility supporting leaders, resolving workplace issues, maintaining engagement, and driving organizational results, often without enough time or resources. Managers are typically the first point of contact for employees, but what happens when they’re unsure how to respond or handle a situation effectively? When
For the first time ever, Kim Scott, the author of Radical Candor® and a bestselling author in both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, will be the keynote speaker at HEC’s Annual Member Meeting in Hawaii! Join us to hear directly from the leadership expert who has transformed the conversation around feedback and workplace culture.
Public speaking isn’t a talent that some people are born with and others aren’t. It’s a trainable set of skills that anyone can learn with the proper structure, practice, and feedback. Whether you’re briefing executives, onboarding new hires, or presenting to community partners, your goal is the same: deliver a clear message that
For many years, I struggled to find the right balance between helping people grow and holding them to high standards. I often felt stuck between being “nice” and being “direct”—and those two approaches felt mutually exclusive. After a particularly frustrating discussion, a peer recommended I read Radical Candor® by Kim
The Nominating Committee of the Hawaii Employers Council has filed with Corporate Secretary Michelle Kim Stone the names of ten nominees for election to three-year terms on HEC’s Board of Governors, beginning in January 2026. Diana Brown, Chief People Officer, Servco Pacific, Inc. Jason Chang, President & CEO, The Queen’s Health System Katy
Today’s workplaces can have up to five generations side by side. Each generation brings unique experiences, expectations, and communication styles. For Hawaii employers, this mix can be both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge lies in managing differences that can easily lead to friction. The opportunity, however, is even greater. A
Hawaii’s employers are in a bind. Jobs sit open across our islands, yet talented people struggle to even get a foot in the door. It’s not just a “shortage problem.” It’s a how-we-hire problem. Too often, traditional hiring screens out qualified candidates before they even get considered. Four-year degrees and linear career
On September 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released proposed regulations regarding “no tax on tips” under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). As a reminder, the OBBBA allows individuals in a “qualified tipped position” to deduct up to $25,000 in “qualified tips” for the