Compliance
Do You Have to Pay Caregivers for Travel Time Between Clients?
Yes. Under the FLSA, drive time between clients during the workday is hours worked. What counts, what doesn't, how to pay it, and how mileage fits in.
Is my caregiver paycheck right?
Enter the hours you worked each day across all your clients, plus drive time and miles between them. The calculator shows what your gross pay should be, with your state's overtime rule.
Last reviewed October 17, 2026
Which states have daily overtime?
These states require overtime after a set number of hours in a single day, on top of the weekly rule.
| State | Daily overtime after |
|---|---|
| Alaska | 8 hours Only for employers with 4 or more employees. |
| California | 8 hours Personal attendants covered by the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights get overtime after 9 hours a day instead. |
| Colorado | 12 hours |
| Nevada | 8 hours Only for employees paid less than 1.5 times the state minimum wage. |
How Caregiver Scheduling handles this
Caregivers check in and out on the app, so the agency has a verified record of each visit. Timesheets built from those check-ins are coming soon. See the caregiver app.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Under federal law, time spent traveling from one client to another during the workday is hours worked. The commute from home to the first client and from the last client home usually is not.
Federal rules require agencies to pay time-and-a-half after 40 hours a week. The Department of Labor paused enforcing that rule against agencies in July 2025, but it remains in the regulations, and many states require overtime under their own laws.
Ask your agency for the timesheet behind the paycheck first. If it is not fixed, you can contact your state labor department or the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243.
Related guides
Compliance
Overtime for Caregivers Who Work for Two Clients in One Week
Hours for every client you assign a caregiver add up in one workweek. Over 40 is overtime at a weighted-average rate. How to calculate it and when a private family's hours count.
Operations
Caregiver Mileage Reimbursement: Rates and Policies
Federal law requires reimbursement only when car costs push pay below minimum wage; California and Illinois require it outright. The 2026 IRS rate is 72.5 cents, 76 cents from July 1.
Compliance
Do Home Care Agencies Have to Pay Caregivers Overtime?
Yes. Since January 1, 2015, agencies cannot use the companionship or live-in exemptions, so every caregiver gets time-and-a-half after 40 hours. Who is covered, what counts, and the 2025 proposal to change it.
These free tools are made by the team behind Caregiver Scheduling, caregiver scheduling software for home care agencies.
Simple pricing
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Up to 10 caregivers on Starter, 50 on Growth.
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