---
title: "Benefits for Servers in Hawaii"
description: "Hawaii requires employers to provide health coverage once you work 20 hours a week, and to carry disability insurance paying 58% of wages, up to $871 in 2026."
url: https://www.tipmaxapp.com/us/answers/hawaii/benefits
language: en
publisher: TipMax (Entermaurs Incorporated)
date_published: 2026-09-23
last_verified: 2026-09-23
---

# What benefits can servers get in Hawaii?

**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 rules in Hawaii

| Rule | What it says |
| --- | --- |
| Prepaid Health Care | Employers 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 premium | No more than the lesser of 50% of the premium or 1.5% of your monthly gross earnings. |
| Temporary Disability Insurance | For 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 TDI | 14 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 cost | Your deduction can’t exceed 0.5% of weekly wages, up to $7.50 a week in 2026. |
| Hawaii EITC | Refundable, 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, https://labor.hawaii.gov/dcd/home/about-phc/)

## 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

- [Hawaii DLIR Disability Compensation Division: about Prepaid Health Care](https://labor.hawaii.gov/dcd/home/about-phc/)
- [Hawaii DLIR Disability Compensation Division: about Temporary Disability Insurance](https://labor.hawaii.gov/dcd/home/about-tdi/)
- [Hawaii DLIR: 2026 maximum weekly wage base and maximum weekly benefit amount](https://labor.hawaii.gov/dcd/files/2025/12/2026-Maximum-Weekly-Wage-Base.pdf)
- [Hawaii Department of Taxation: Hawaii EITC flyer](https://files.hawaii.gov/tax/geninfo/info/flyer-EITC-Nov2024.pdf)

## Last verified

September 23, 2026. 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.

## About TipMax

Hawaii’s health coverage and disability rules both turn on 20 hours a week, and a shift log with hours shows whether you’re over the line.

TipMax is an iPhone app for servers and bartenders that tracks tips and tip-outs and turns a restaurant menu into study flashcards.

Download TipMax free: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tipmax-study-track-earn/id6744850146

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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.