On June 27, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2025-3 directing that its Wage and Hour Division (WHD) will no longer seek liquidated damage payments in pre-litigation wage and hour investigations. Effective June 27, 2025, WHD must limit recovery payments to unpaid wages and overtime compensation. What Changed?
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” into law. While there are many provisions in this Act that have widespread impacts, we are focusing this article on upcoming changes to taxation of tips and overtime. Please note that the Treasury Secretary is expected to publish additional rules and regulations regarding
Have you ever walked into a business and immediately felt something different – an energy that told you the staff wanted to be there? Maybe it wasn’t loud or obvious, but you could feel it. The warmth. The willingness to help. The sense that people were present and committed with genuine authenticity, not just performing tasks. As humans,
As Hawai'i's business landscape continues to shift-economically, technologically, and socially-employers are being asked to do more than just "get through uncertainty." They need to adapt. That's the driving force behind Talent Summit 2025, a gathering designed to equip Hawai'i's leaders with the insight, tools, and partnerships needed to navigate the
On June 6, 2025, Governor Green notified the legislature of his intent to veto 19 out of the 320 bills passed during the 2025 legislative session. The Governor’s entire list of bills, along with the veto rationale for each, is available on his website. While Governor Green is not obligated to veto any of the listed bills, he has until July 9, 2025,
As a Continuous Improvement (CI) professional, I've worked with organizations across different industries to implement processes that make daily work better. One area where I've seen the most exciting transformation is Human Resources. I've always believed the traditional HR role goes beyond compliance and administration. HR has the power to shape culture,
The Employee Turnover & Sick Time Statistics Survey, conducted from January to April 2025, gathered data from 138 organizations on turnover and sick time statistics for the calendar year 2024. Turnover Rates Improve Amid a Tight Labor Market Hawaii employers saw a meaningful decline in employee turnover last year. The overall turnover rate dropped to
PWFA Final Rule Updates On May 21, 2025, a federal court vacated portions of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) final rules (published in April 2024) relating to the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and accommodations related to abortions. Under the PWFA, employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations for
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced on May 20, 2025, that the 2024 EEO-1 Component 1 Data Collection is open, running from May 20, 2025 through June 24, 2025. Eligible employers must file their 2024 EEO-1 Component 1 report by June 24, 2025, or will be out of compliance with EEO-1 filing obligations. As a reminder, generally,
On May 1, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2025-1, which provides updated guidance to the Wage and Hour Division’s (WHD) field staff when determining independent contractor status under the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA). Going forward, WHD will not enforce the DOL’s 2024 Independent Contractor rule