What Should Be on a Home Care Agency's Compliance Calendar?
Every recurring deadline in one place: payroll tax filings, W-2s, OSHA posting, license and credential renewals, exclusion checks and record retention.
By Caregiver Scheduling Team ·
A compliance calendar lists every recurring deadline, who owns it, and when the reminder fires. For a non-medical home care agency that means payroll tax filings, W-2s, OSHA posting, license and insurance renewals, caregiver credential and training expirations, exclusion checks, care plan reviews and the HIPAA risk analysis. Build it once, add your state’s dates, and set reminders 30 to 60 days out.
What belongs on the calendar?
Anything with a date and a penalty, sorted by frequency.
| Frequency | Task |
|---|---|
| Weekly | Payroll; timesheet exceptions; authorization hours remaining |
| Monthly | Credential and training expirations in the next 90 days; OIG exclusion check for all staff; Medicaid eligibility re-checks |
| Quarterly | Form 941; state unemployment wage report; care plan reviews; supervisory visits |
| Yearly | Form 940; W-2s and 1099-NECs; license renewal; insurance and surety bond renewal; workers’ comp audit; HIPAA risk analysis; policy review; annual caregiver training; OSHA 300A posting |
| On change | Minimum wage increases; new state rules; a caregiver’s work authorization expiring; a client’s authorization ending |
Our compliance calendar tool adds state renewal and training dates.
Which federal dates are fixed?
The IRS dates never move, and they carry automatic penalties. From the IRS employment tax due dates page:
| Date | Filing |
|---|---|
| January 31 | Form 940 (FUTA); W-2s to employees and the SSA; 1099-NEC to recipients and the IRS; Form 941 for the fourth quarter |
| April 30 | Form 941, first quarter |
| July 31 | Form 941, second quarter |
| October 31 | Form 941, third quarter |
| February 1 to April 30 | OSHA Form 300A posted in the office, if you had more than 10 employees last year (29 CFR 1904.32) |
If you deposited all taxes on time, you get 10 extra calendar days to file Forms 941 and 940. Deposits run monthly or semiweekly, so add deposit dates too. See home care payroll.
Home care is not on OSHA’s partially exempt industry list, so the 300 log and 300A summary apply once you pass 10 employees (29 CFR 1904.1).
Which state dates do you have to add?
License renewal, state tax filings, minimum wage changes and training hours. These differ by state, so they are the lines agencies miss.
- License renewal. Annual in some states, every two or three years in others. Put the application deadline on the calendar, not the expiry date, since states require filing well before expiry. See state survey preparation.
- Minimum wage. The DOL’s state minimum wage page lists current rates. Many states adjust every year by formula, and Oregon and the District of Columbia change rates on July 1. Check your state’s effective date each fall. A change means new pay rates, new bill rates and a client notice.
- State unemployment and withholding. Usually quarterly, on or near the 941 dates, but confirm your state’s portal.
- Caregiver training hours. Most licensing states require a set number of hours each year, counted from hire date or calendar year. See training requirements by state.
- Background check renewals, TB screening and CPR. Some states require periodic re-checks. Track each as a credential with an expiry.
How long do you have to keep records?
Payroll records 3 years, time records 2 years, HIPAA documentation 6 years. Under the FLSA, payroll records must be kept at least 3 years (29 CFR 516.5) and time cards and schedules at least 2 years (29 CFR 516.6). HIPAA policies and risk analyses must be kept 6 years from creation or last effective date (45 CFR 164.316). Medicaid contracts and state licensing rules often require longer for client records, so use the longest rule that applies. Add a yearly task to destroy what is past retention. See record retention.
What Medicaid-specific items go on it?
Exclusion checks, authorization end dates and the 80/20 rule. Screen every employee and contractor against the OIG exclusion list at hire and then routinely; most state Medicaid agencies expect monthly checks. Check each client’s authorization before the hours run out. And mark July 9, 2030: under 42 CFR 441.302(k), states must ensure providers spend 80 percent of Medicaid payments for homemaker, home health aide and personal care services on direct care worker compensation starting 6 years after July 9, 2024. CMS has signaled it may revise the rule, so track it rather than restructure now. See the 80/20 calculator.
Who should own the calendar?
One named person, with a backup who gets the same reminders. Review it monthly, and once a year check every line against your license, contracts and headcount. Agencies outgrow their calendar at predictable points: the 11th employee triggers OSHA logs, the first Medicaid contract adds exclusion checks and EVV, and 50 full-time equivalent employees adds ACA reporting.
How Caregiver Scheduling handles this
On Growth and up, credentials and authorized hours are checked when you assign a visit: an expired credential blocks the assignment, and a week that would go over a client’s authorized hours is flagged. Timesheets and payroll export from verified check-ins are coming soon. $199/month for up to 10 caregivers or $299/month for up to 50, free for 30 days.
FAQ
What is the most commonly missed deadline? Caregiver credential renewals and annual training hours, because every caregiver’s dates differ.
Do I have to post the OSHA 300A? Yes, from February 1 to April 30, if you had more than 10 employees at any point last year.
How far ahead should reminders fire? 30 days for quarterly filings, 60 to 90 days for license renewals and insurance, since both need documents from other people.
Can software replace the calendar? It can run the caregiver and client lines. Tax filings, license renewals and policy reviews still need a named person.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Check your state’s licensing and tax deadlines.