Following the Governor’s veto deadline on July 9, the Hawaii Employers Council issued its final set of legislative reports for the 2019 legislative session.  For new employment laws, perhaps the biggest update employers should know about is the addition of “reproductive health decision” to the list of protected classes under Hawaii’s anti-discrimination laws.

Additionally, other legal changes that would be of interest to employers include new fines for failure to comply with a child support enforcement order, continuation of a law allowing for chaperones & recordings during workers’ compensation medical examinations, decriminalization of marijuana, and Gender X designations for Hawaii drivers’ licenses and state identification cards. 

In its member-only Highlights of Bills after Veto Deadline, HEC has provided a deeper discussion on these new laws and how they may impact the workforce.  Finally, a list of several other new laws that will affect employers in Hawaii can be found in the Legislative Digest for Bills after Veto Deadline.