A new bill signed into law by Governor Ige from the 2020 legislative session (HB 2148) expands the Hawaii Family Leave Law (HFLL) to include care for employee’s grandchildren.
This bill comes as another expansion to the Hawaii Family Leave Law, potentially making more employees eligible for protected leave. The law—which also includes care of children, parents, reciprocal beneficiaries or spouses—was last expanded in 2017 when eligible employees could take leave to care for a sibling with a serious health condition (HB213).
The new bill also provided long-awaited clarification to the 2017 bill by defining “sibling” as “an individual who is a biological, adopted or foster brother or sister; or a stepbrother or stepsister of an employee.”
As with all situations covered under the Hawaii Family Leave Law and the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), employers are responsible for training managers and supervisors to recognize situations where it may apply.
More about family leave laws
The Hawaii Family Leave Law applies to companies with 100 or more employees. An employee who has worked at least 6 consecutive months for the company may be eligible to take up to four weeks of unpaid family leave each calendar year to care for a qualifying family member with a serious health condition.
If an employee qualifies for both HFLL and FMLA, leave periods may run concurrently or consecutively, up to a maximum of 12 or 16 weeks, depending on the reason for leave. See the State of Hawaii Wage Standards Division website for more information about family leave.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Readers should first consult their attorney, accountant or adviser before acting upon any information in this article.
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A new bill signed into law by Governor Ige from the 2020 legislative session (HB 2148) expands the Hawaii Family Leave Law (HFLL) to include care for employee’s grandchildren.
This bill comes as another expansion to the Hawaii Family Leave Law, potentially making more employees eligible for protected leave. The law—which also includes care of children, parents, reciprocal beneficiaries or spouses—was last expanded in 2017 when eligible employees could take leave to care for a sibling with a serious health condition (HB213).
The new bill also provided long-awaited clarification to the 2017 bill by defining “sibling” as “an individual who is a biological, adopted or foster brother or sister; or a stepbrother or stepsister of an employee.”
As with all situations covered under the Hawaii Family Leave Law and the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), employers are responsible for training managers and supervisors to recognize situations where it may apply.
More about family leave laws
The Hawaii Family Leave Law applies to companies with 100 or more employees. An employee who has worked at least 6 consecutive months for the company may be eligible to take up to four weeks of unpaid family leave each calendar year to care for a qualifying family member with a serious health condition.
If an employee qualifies for both HFLL and FMLA, leave periods may run concurrently or consecutively, up to a maximum of 12 or 16 weeks, depending on the reason for leave. See the State of Hawaii Wage Standards Division website for more information about family leave.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Readers should first consult their attorney, accountant or adviser before acting upon any information in this article.
Sign up for our newsletter
Sign up for our monthly HIVE newsletter and get tips for finding a job, managing a business and advancing your career right in your inbox.