Hawaii Revised Statutes 388-4 – Payment of wages to relatives of deceased employees
Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 388-4
- Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
- Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
- Decedent: A deceased person.
- Employee: includes any person suffered or permitted to work. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 388-1
- Employer: includes any individual; partnership; association; joint-stock company; trust; corporation; the personal representative of the estate of a deceased individual or the receiver, trustee, or successor of any of the same; general contractor, for purposes of wages owed to the employees of a subcontractor, as those terms are defined in section 388-11. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 388-1
- Wages: means compensation for labor or services rendered by an employee, whether the amount is determined on a time, task, piece, commission, or other basis of calculation. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 388-1
Where an employee dies leaving any wages, vacation, or sick leave pay due the employee, the employer shall, within thirty days after such death, whether or not a personal representative has been appointed, pay the wages, vacation, or sick leave pay in an amount not exceeding $2,000 to, and upon application by the surviving spouse or reciprocal beneficiary or, if none, by an adult child. The employer shall require the applicant to show proof of his or her relationship to the deceased by affidavit and to acknowledge receipt of the payment in writing. Any such payment shall discharge the employer to the extent thereof and the employer shall not be liable to the decedent‘s estate. Any person to whom payment is made shall be answerable therefor to anyone prejudiced by an improper distribution.