The 2014 legislative session has come to an end marked by the passage of several measures with impacts for Hawaii employers, including ones on minimum wage, a new leave law for employees of large businesses; an expansion of Hawaii's TDI law; a possible reduction in cost items for workers' compensation cases; restrictions on payment of wages via direct deposit or debit cards; and revised licensure requirements for private guards.

On the tax side, the Governor had announced a fund surplus of some $800 million and, in this election year, proposals to give money away via credits of all kinds proliferated.  At the same time, the county mayors announced that some of their top priorities were to get their own surcharge atop the GET and/or to increase their share of the TAT pie.  When the smoke cleared, only one significant revenue raiser remained; the mayors didn't get their surcharge but took home a few more dollars from the TAT; and the vast majority of the credit proposals, including credits for the hotel industry and tax relief for the poor and elderly, wound up on the cutting room floor.

Please join HEC Senior HR Consultant/Assistant General Counsel Ryan Sanada and Interim President of the Tax Foundation Tom Yamachika in HEC's Kahili Meeting Room for a morning session on June 27 covering employment and tax related bills that may have an impact on your workforce.

For information on registration call Vicky Tasaka-Loando at 440-8888.