LAURIE BOLOS, et al., on behalf of herself and all others similarly situated, Plaintiffs, vs. WALDORF=ASTORIA MANAGEMENT LLC operating as Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, et al., Defendants.

The above-captioned case has been set for oral argument on the merits at:

Supreme Court Courtroom
Ali‘iōlani Hale, 2nd Floor
417 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96813

The oral argument will also be livestreamed for public viewing via the Judiciary’s YouTube channel at YouTube.com/hawaiicourts and ‘Ōlelo at olelo.org/tv-schedule/.

Attorney for Plaintiffs LAURIE BOLOS, et al.: 
     Sandra D. Lynch of Lynch Law Offices LLLC  

Attorneys for Defendants WALDORF=ASTORIA MANAGEMENT LLC: 
     Judy M. Iriye and Wayne S. Yoshigai of Littler Mendelson P.C. 

NOTE: Order assigning Circuit Judge Henry T. Nakamoto, due to a vacancy, filed 11/19/25. 

NOTE: Order accepting Certified Question, filed 11/19/25. 

NOTE: Order setting Oral Argument date for 04/28/26 at 10:30 a.m., filed 02/20/26. 

COURT: McKenna, Acting C.J., Eddins, Ginoza, and Devens, JJ., and Circuit Judge Nakamoto, assigned by reason of vacancy. 

Brief Description: 

This certified question from the United States District Court for the District of Hawai‘i asks us to determine which unit of measure applies when measuring compliance and damages under Hawai‘i’s minimum wage provisions, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) §§ 387-2 and 387-12 (2022).  Is it a per-workweek unit, as utilized under federal law when determining compliance with minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)?  Or is it a per-hour unit, as utilized under minimum wage provisions of some states?  

This case arises from a putative class and collective action brought by Plaintiff Laurie Bolos and one hundred additional plaintiffs who worked at Defendants’ Grand Wailea-A Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Wailea, Maui.  Plaintiffs are massage therapists, estheticians, nail technicians, fitness instructors, and hair stylists who performed spa services at the hotel.  They sued for violations of state and federal wage and hour laws based on Defendants’ misclassification of them as independent contractors. 

Defendants moved for partial summary judgment on Count One of Plaintiffs’ Fourth Amended Complaint, which seeks recovery under HRS § 387-12 for alleged violations of Hawai‘i’s minimum wage statute, HRS § 387-2.  The unit of measure – per workweek or per hour – of the amount of wages earned may be the determining factor in whether a minimum wage statute has been violated.  In their summary judgment briefing, Defendants argued that the federal workweek-averaging approach utilized under the FLSA should apply here.  Plaintiffs disagreed.  They said the per-hour approach should apply instead.