Final Paycheck Laws in Hawaii

In Hawaii, a fired employee must be paid at the time of discharge or by the next working day, and an employee who quits by the next regular payday, or on the last day with one pay period of notice.

Last checked October 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Deadline if fired: Immediately, or next working day; The next working day applies only when conditions prevent immediate payment.
Deadline if employee quits: Next regular payday; Paid at the time of quitting if the employee gave at least one pay period's notice.
Accrued vacation paid out: Not required by the final pay statute; The Hawaii Supreme Court held unused vacation paid at separation is not wages under the final pay statute.

Sources

Last checked October 2026

The rules in Hawaii

When is a final paycheck due in Hawaii if the employee is fired or laid off?

Deadline if fired in Hawaii: Immediately, or next working day. The next working day applies only when conditions prevent immediate payment.

When is a final paycheck due in Hawaii if the employee quits?

Deadline if employee quits in Hawaii: Next regular payday. Paid at the time of quitting if the employee gave at least one pay period's notice.

Does Hawaii law require employers to pay out accrued vacation when a job ends?

Not required by the final pay statute. Accrued vacation paid out in Hawaii: not required by the final pay statute. The Hawaii Supreme Court held unused vacation paid at separation is not wages under the final pay statute.

Where do the Hawaii final paycheck laws come from?

The rules above come from Haw. Rev. Stat. 388-3. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

A temporarily laid off employee is paid by the next regular payday.

What this means in practice

Note the exact last day of work and how the job ended, since the deadline often runs from that date and may differ for a firing, a layoff or a resignation. Some statutes also change the deadline when an employee quits without giving notice.

Read the employer's written vacation or paid time off policy and any employment contract. Where state law leaves vacation payout to the employer, the policy terms usually decide whether unused time is paid out or forfeited.

If a final paycheck is late or short, the state labor department usually accepts wage claims, often without a lawyer. Some statutes add penalties for late payment, such as extra daily wages, so keep pay stubs, timesheets and any written communication about the final pay.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.