Compliance
Home Care Overtime Rules: What Agencies Owe Caregivers
Since 2015, home care agencies must pay caregivers overtime after 40 hours in a workweek. How the rule works, what counts as hours worked, and which states add daily overtime.
Kentucky overtime rules for home care workers
Last verified October 28, 2026 · All Kentucky resources
In Kentucky, overtime is time-and-a-half after 40 hours in a workweek. The state minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. The federal Home Care Rule bars agencies from the companionship and live-in exemptions, though the Department of Labor stopped enforcing it against agencies in July 2025 while it considers undoing it. Kentucky's own law does not, so if the federal rule is undone, agencies here may no longer owe overtime to companionship and live-in caregivers.
What are Kentucky's overtime and minimum wage rules?
| Minimum wage | $7.25 an hour |
|---|---|
| Weekly overtime | After 40 hours |
| Daily overtime | None |
| Seventh day | 1.5x for hours worked on the seventh day when an employee works all seven days of the workweek; does not apply if the employee is not permitted to work over 40 hours in the week. |
Does Kentucky law require overtime for agency caregivers?
No. Kentucky expressly exempts from state overtime "any individual who is employed by a third-party employer or agency other than the family or household" to provide in-home companionship services for a sick, convalescing or elderly person (KRS 337.285(2)(e)). For those caregivers only the federal rule requires overtime.
Does Kentucky have special rules for home care workers?
KRS 337.285(2)(e) exempts agency-employed in-home companions from state overtime. The state definition of companionship services excludes work that requires and is performed by trained personnel such as nurses, and caps general household work at 20% of weekly hours (KRS 337.285(3)).
Calculate a week of overtime in Kentucky
Preset with Kentucky's daily overtime rule. Enter each day's hours across all clients.
Checking the whole roster? Open Overtime watch for Kentucky →
More for Kentucky
Overtime rules by state: other states
Related guides
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.
Compliance
Which States Require Daily Overtime for Caregivers?
California, Alaska, Nevada and Colorado require overtime after a set number of hours in a day. What each rule says, with sources, and what it does to 10-, 12- and 24-hour shifts.
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.
Compliance
Live-In Caregiver Pay: Sleep Time, Meal Breaks and the 24-Hour Rule
When an agency can exclude sleep and meal time from a live-in or 24-hour shift, what the written agreement must say, and what happens when sleep is interrupted.
These free tools are made by the team behind Caregiver Scheduling, caregiver scheduling software for home care agencies.
Simple pricing
From $199 /month
Up to 10 caregivers on Starter, 50 on Growth.
More than 50 caregivers? We'll put together a custom Scale plan for your agency.