What benefits can servers get in Hawaii?

HawaiiVerified September 23, 2026

The short answer

Employer health coverage is required at 20 hours a week. Under Hawaii’s Prepaid Health Care law, your employer must cover you after four consecutive weeks if you work at least 20 hours a week and earn at least $1,387 a month, and your share of the premium is capped at 1.5% of your pay. Temporary Disability Insurance pays 58% of wages, up to $871 a week in 2026.

The rule in Hawaii

Prepaid Health CareEmployers must provide health coverage to employees who work at least 20 hours a week and earn 86.67 times the minimum wage a month ($1,387 in 2026), after four consecutive weeks of employment.
Your share of the premiumNo more than the lesser of 50% of the premium or 1.5% of your monthly gross earnings.
Temporary Disability InsuranceFor an off-the-job injury or sickness, including pregnancy: 58% of your average weekly wage from the eighth day, for up to 26 weeks, up to $871 a week in 2026.
Who qualifies for TDI14 weeks of Hawaii work in the last 52, each with 20 or more paid hours, and at least $400 in wages. File Form TDI-45 within 90 days.
TDI costYour deduction can’t exceed 0.5% of weekly wages, up to $7.50 a week in 2026.
Hawaii EITCRefundable, 40% of your federal EITC. File Form N-356 and Schedule CR with your Hawaii return.
“Employers must provide health care coverage to employees who work at least twenty (20) hours per week and earn 86.67 times the current Hawaii minimum wage a month” (Hawaii DLIR Disability Compensation Division: about Prepaid Health Care)

What’s different in Hawaii

In Hawaii, the restaurant job itself has to come with health insurance once you pass the hours test. Once you’re past four weeks at 20 hours or more, your employer has to offer a plan and pay at least half, and your share can’t top 1.5% of your gross pay. The pay test, 86.67 times the minimum wage a month, works out to about 20 hours a week at that wage (our arithmetic).

Disability insurance works the same way: your employer must carry it, and it pays 58% of wages after a week off sick. The 20-hour test shows up in both laws, so hours matter here as much as tips. Plus the federal programs.

Official sources

Last verified

. Checked the agency pages linked above.

Still open: The Disability Compensation Division pages we read don’t say how tips count in the wages used for TDI or the Prepaid Health Care earnings test.

Related

TipMax Answers explains public government guidance on pay and workplace rules in plain English for tipped workers. It is not legal, tax, or accounting advice. Rules change and local rules can add to them. Confirm with the agency linked on this page or a qualified professional. TipMax the app helps you track tips and pay; it doesn’t enforce wage law or decide disputes.