{"id":373595,"date":"2016-04-11T01:22:34","date_gmt":"2016-04-11T06:22:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/kentucky-law\/kentucky-wage-and-hour-laws.html"},"modified":"2022-12-12T16:48:06","modified_gmt":"2022-12-12T21:48:06","slug":"kentucky-wage-and-hour-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/kentucky-law\/kentucky-wage-and-hour-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Kentucky Wage and Hour Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Kentucky Wage and Hour Laws<\/h1>\n
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\n By FindLaw Staff<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Chris Meyers, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act<\/a> (FLSA) provides the United States with minimum wage and hour laws<\/a> that all employers must abide by. These laws regulate many aspects of the employer \u2013 employee relationship such as child labor law, time off, how much per hour an employee must make, including minors, and the number of hours of work per week an employee can be required to work. It is important to note that the FLSA establishes minimum<\/i> standards. This means that states can’t fall below these minimum standard, but they can pass their own state wage and hour laws as long as the state law doesn’t violate the federal law.<\/p>\r\n

The following tables highlight Kentucky labor laws, hourly rate and overtime pay.<\/p>\r\n

Minimum Wage in Kentucky<\/h2>\r\n\r\n

Code Section<\/p>\r\n<\/th>\r\n

Kentucky Revised Statutes \u200bsection 337.275<\/a>: Minimum Wage<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

What’s Required?<\/p>\r\n<\/th>\r\n

Employers in Kentucky must pay their employees at least $7.25 per hour.<\/p>\r\n

If the federal minimum wage is increased to more than $7.25 per hour, then Kentucky’s minimum wage will also increase to the same amount as the new federal minimum wage.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Exception- Tipped Employees<\/p>\r\n<\/th>\r\n

Employees that customarily and regularly receive more than $30 per month in tips (from patrons or others) may be paid a lower minimum hourly wage (see federal law 29 U.S.C sec. 203<\/a>).<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Penalties<\/p>\r\n<\/th>\r\n

Violations are punishable by a civil penalty of between $100 and $1,000.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\r\n

Overtime Law in Kentucky<\/h2>\r\n\r\n

Code Section<\/p>\r\n<\/th>\r\n

Kentucky Revised Statutes section 337.285<\/a>: Maximum Hours<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

What’s Required?<\/p>\r\n<\/th>\r\n

Employees who work more than 40 hours in a workweek must be compensated for each hour of overtime at a rate of at least 1\u00bd times their regular hourly rate.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Exemptions<\/p>\r\n<\/th>\r\n

This law doesn’t apply to the following employees:
    \r\n
  • Retail store employees connected with selling, purchasing, and distributing merchandise<\/li>\r\n
  • Some salaried employees<\/li>\r\n
  • Restaurant, hotel, and motel operation employees<\/li>\r\n
  • Employees of the Secretary of Transportation, seamen, taxi drivers, salesmen, or mechanics primarily selling vehicles, farm implements, boats, or airplanes<\/li>\r\n
  • Employees who provide 24-hour residential care to children who are dependent, neglected, or abused, and<\/li>\r\n
  • Employees who provide in-home companionship services for sick, convalescing, or elderly people<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Penalties<\/p>\r\n<\/th>\r\n

Violations are punishable by a civil penalty of between $100 and $1,000.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\r\n

Mandatory Lunch Breaks & Rest Periods<\/h2>\r\n

All Kentucky employers (except those subject to the Federal Railway Labor Act<\/a>) must give their employees a reasonable meal break during their shift. Employees must receive their lunch period, or meal period, as close to the middle of their shift as possible. The rest break must not be given sooner than three hours into the shift, and no later than five hours after the shift begins.<\/p>\r\n

In addition to a lunch break, Kentucky employees must also receive a rest period after they’ve been working for at least four hours. Employees are required to take at least a ten-minute break every four hours (except employees subject to the Federal Railway Labor Act).<\/p>\r\n

Employer Records<\/h2>\r\n

Every employer in Kentucky must keep a record of:<\/p>\r\n