Waldorf-Astoria Can’t Use Weekly Average for Hawaii Wage Floor

A Waldorf-Astoria resort in Maui must pay Hawaii’s minimum wage for each hour that its employees work, rather than rely on a weekly average as employers sometimes do under federal law, the Hawaii Supreme Court decided.

The state’s wage law specifies the required minimum “per hour” and unlike federal law makes no reference to a weekly basis, the court opined in response to a question referred to it by the US District Court for the District of Hawaii. The current minimum is $16 per hour in Hawaii, scheduled to rise to $18 in 2028.

The Fair Labor Standards Act has ...