Comp time instead of overtime
County and city employees and certain state troopers may take comp time at 1.5 hours per overtime hour, but only on the employee's free written request and a written agreement made before the work. Private employers must pay cash. Source: apps.legislature.ky.gov↗ (opens in a new tab)
Industry-specific rules
Sheriff's offices, county police and some city police may use a 14-day, 80-hour work period for peace officers instead of the 40-hour week. Source: apps.legislature.ky.gov↗ (opens in a new tab)
Penalties
The Kentucky Labor Cabinet, Division of Wages and Hours enforces this rule; penalty amounts aren't set out in the guidance linked here. Source: elc.ky.gov↗ (opens in a new tab)
The law and where to check
The law: KRS 337.285; KRS 337.050 (opens in a new tab)
The agency: Kentucky Labor Cabinet, Division of Wages and Hours (opens in a new tab)
What federal law says
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek for non-exempt employees. Federal law has no daily overtime. The federal salary level for most exempt staff is $684 a week. Where state and federal rules differ, follow the rule that gives the employee more. Source: U.S. Department of Labor↗ (opens in a new tab) Source: U.S. DOL — salary levels↗ (opens in a new tab)
Free tool: work out overtime pay with our State Overtime Calculator.
Overtime checklist for Kentucky employers
A simple order of work, based on the rules above. It is not a legal checklist.
- Decide which employees are non-exempt, and check exempt staff meet the salary and duties tests.
- Set your workweek (a fixed, repeating 7-day period).
- Track all hours worked, including daily hours if your state has daily overtime.
- Pay overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate, including bonuses where required.
- Use our free State Overtime Calculator to check the numbers.
- Keep time and pay records.
More Kentucky employment law guides
- All Kentucky employment laws
- Kentucky final paycheck law
- Kentucky paid sick leave law
- Kentucky meal and rest break laws
- Kentucky pay frequency law
- Kentucky vacation and PTO payout law
- Kentucky new hire reporting
- Kentucky at-will exceptions
Overtime laws in other states
See every state on one page, or pick a state:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
All official government sources, last checked October 19, 2026.
- https://elc.ky.gov:443/workplace-standards/Documents/KY%20Wage%20and%20Hour%20Poster%20English.pdf
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/overtime
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/overtime/salary-levels
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/24RS/documents/0086.pdf
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/overtime/whdfs17u
Disclaimer: This guide provides general information based on publicly available official sources and is for information only. It is not legal, tax, payroll or employment-law advice and does not guarantee compliance with federal, state or local requirements. Rules can depend on your location, industry, contracts and other circumstances, and laws change. Always check the official source, the relevant government agency or a qualified professional before making a decision. MadyHR.ai accepts no responsibility for any action taken based on this page.
Last checked: . Every rule and source link on this page was checked against the official government source on this date. Laws change, so always open the source link before you act.