Insurance
Home›Insurance›Industry & Deals›Hawaii adds military exigency leave to family leave law
Hawaii adds military exigency leave to family leave law
The change took effect July 1 and expands covered reasons to urgent situations tied to a family member’s active duty service.
Hawaii has expanded its Family Leave Law by adding qualifying military exigency as a protected reason for job protected leave, a move that increases employer compliance obligations in a state with a high share of military families, according to Insurance Business. Act 13, signed by Gov. Josh Green on May 19, took effect July 1. The updated Hawaii Family Leave Law applies to employers with 100 or more employees and allows eligible workers with at least six consecutive months of service to take up to four weeks of unpaid, job protected leave per calendar year. The law now covers leave tied to the birth or adoption of a child, care for a family member with a serious health condition, and urgent situations tied to a family member’s active duty military service. The outlet notes that Hawaii has the highest concentration of active duty and reserve military personnel among US states, at 39 per 1,000 residents, with more than 250,000 military personnel and their families statewide. For compliance, employers must handle military exigency requests with advance notice and must obtain a copy of the employee’s official military orders. The law adopts federal Family and Medical Leave Act exigency definitions, while Hawaii’s coverage extends to a broader set of family relationships, including siblings, grandchildren, and reciprocal beneficiaries. Insurance Business also highlights that for employers subject to both Hawaii’s law and federal FMLA, the two can run concurrently, requiring updated leave policies and training for HR and managers.