Kentucky Wage and Hour Poster Mandatory

KENTUCKY WAGE AND
HOUR LAWS
MINIMUM WAGE = $7.25 per hour
(Effective July 1, 2009)
WAGES
PAYMENT OF WAGES:

Any employee who leaves or is discharged from employment shall be paid in full all wages or salary earned not later than the next normal pay period
following the date of dismissal or voluntary leaving or fourteen (14) days following such date of dismissal or voluntary leaving whichever last occurs.

UNLAWFUL FOR EMPLOYER TO WITHHOLD WAGES

No employer shall withhold from any employee's wages any part of the
agreed wage rate; unless
a) the employer is required to do so by local, state, or federal law; or
b) when a deduction is expressly authorized in writing by the
employee to cover insurance premiums, hospital, or medical
dues; or
c) when a deduction is expressly authorized in writing by the
employee for other deductions not amounting to a rebate or
deduction from the standard wage arrived at by collective
bargaining or pursuant to wage agreement or statute; or
d) Deductions for union dues where such deductions are authorized
by joint wage agreements or collective bargaining contracts
negotiated between employers and employees or their
representatives.

OVERTIME
No employer shall employ any employee for a workweek longer than
forty hours unless such employee receives compensation for
employment in excess of forty hours in a workweek. The rate of pay for
time in excess of forty hours shall be not less than one and one-half the
hourly rate employed.

No employer shall deduct the following from the wages of employees:
a) Fines
b) Cash shortages in a common money till, cash box or register used by
two (2) or more persons;
c) Breakage;
d) Losses due to acceptance by an employee of checks which are
subsequently dishonored if such employee is given discretion to
accept or reject any check; or
e) Losses due to defective or faulty workmanship, lost or stolen
property, damage to property, default of customer credit or
nonpayment for goods or services received by the customer if such
losses are not attributable to employee's willful or intentional
disregard of employer's interest.

TIME AND ONE HALF FOR WORK DONE ON SEVENTH
DAY OF WEEK

Any employer who permits any employee to work seven days in any
one workweek shall pay the rate of time and a half for the time worked
on the seventh day. This shall not apply where an employee is not
permitted to work more than forty (40) hours during the workweek.

TIPPED EMPLOYEES

Any employee engaged in an occupation in which more than $30 dollars per month is customarily and regularly received in tips, the employer may pay
a minimum of $2.13 per hour if the employer' records can establish for each week where credit is taken, when adding the tips received to wages paid,
not less than the minimum wage is received by the employee. No employer shall:
• Use all or part of any tips or gratuities received by employees toward the payment of the minimum wage.
• Require an employee to remit to the employer any gratuity, or any portion thereof, except for the purpose of withholding amoun ts required by
federal or state law.
• Employees may enter into an agreement to divide tips among themselves. If employees enter into this type of agreement, the amounts retained
by the employees shall be considered tips of the individuals who retain them. If an employer requires the use of a tip pool, then the account used
to hold the tip pool shall be segregated from the employer’s other business records and the employer shall make the account open to the pool’s
participants.

PERFORMANCE BONDS: Performance Bonds must be kept on file for employers in the construction and mining industries (including the transportation

of minerals) who have conducted business within the Commonwealth for less than five (5) consecutive years. For more information, see KRS 337.200.

Certain exemptions from minimum wage and overtime apply. For questions, please call (502)564-3534.
BREAKS

RECORDS

REST PERIODS: No employer shall require any employee to work
without a rest period of at least ten (10) minutes during each four (4)
hours worked. This shall be in addition to the regularly scheduled
lunch period. No reduction in compensation shall be made for hourly
or salaried employees.
LUNCH PERIODS: Employers shall grant their employees a
reasonable period for lunch, and such time shall be as close to the
middle of the employee's scheduled work shift as possible. In no case
shall an employee be required to take a lunch period sooner than three
(3) hours after the work shift commences, nor more than five (5) hours
from the time the work shift commences. This section shall not be
construed to negate any provision of a collective bargaining agreement
or mutual agreement between the employee and employer.

RECORD RETENTION: ONE (1) YEAR AFTER ENTRY
Every employer subject to the provisions of the Kentucky Minimum
Wage Law shall make and preserve records containing the following
information:
(a) Name, address, and Social Security Number of each employee;
(b) Hours worked each day and each week by each employee;
(c) Regular hourly rate of pay;
(d) Overtime hourly rate of pay for hours in excess of forty hours in a
workweek;
(e) Additions to cash wages at cost, or deductions (meals, board, lodging,
etc.) from stipulated wages in the amount deducted, or at cost of the item
for which deductions are made;
(f) Total wages paid for each workweek and date of payment.

POST THIS ORDER WHERE ALL EMPLOYEES MAY READ
Education and Labor Cabinet
Division of Wages and Hours
Mayo-Underwood Building
500 Mero Street, 3rd Floor
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601-4381
Phone (502) 564-3534
elc.ky.gov

“No individual in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, national
origin, age, disability, political affiliation or belief, be excluded from participation in, or denied
the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity under the
jurisdiction of the Education and Labor Cabinet.”
PAID FOR WITH STATE FUNDS

UPDATED April 2024