The Kentucky Labor Law Guide

Minimum wage is the lowest hourly pay rate that employers are legally obligated to pay employees. The federal minimum wage is a wage baseline, but different states, cities, and regions can adopt their own rates. 

$7.25 per hour for most employees (as of 2024)

Kentucky does not have a state-set minimum wage so Kentucky employers should use the federal minimum wage. Local cities tend to follow this wage amount and do not set their own higher rates.

→ Learn more about Deputy's labor law compliance software

Tipped minimum wage is the lowest hourly pay rate employers are legally obligated to pay employees who earn a significant portion of their income through tips. 

$2.13 per hour for most tipped employees (as of 2024)

Kentucky overtime laws are based on the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which requires non-exempt employees to receive paid time and a half for every hour worked over 40 hours within a workweek.

Kentucky wage and hour laws generally require employers to provide nonexempt employees with a paid break of at least 10 minutes long for every four hours worked.

Employers must also generally provide a reasonable period for a meal as close to the middle of the employee’s work shift as possible. Employees can’t be required to take a meal break sooner than three hours into the shift or later than 5 hours after the shift begins. 

A meal period does not have to be paid so long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties during the break.

→ Find out how Deputy can help you simplify meal and rest break compliance

Vacation leave
Kentucky state law does not require employers to provide paid time off to their employees. The employer can choose to offer vacation leave at their discretion. 

Paid Sick Leave
Kentucky has no state laws requiring private employers to provide paid or unpaid sick leave.

Holidays
Kentucky state law does not require employers to provide paid or unpaid holiday leave.

→ Learn more about Deputy's leave management software

Different child labor laws in Kentucky depend on the minor’s age. 

Laws for minors 14-15:

• Can work up to 3 hours a day, 18 hours a week when school is in session.

• Can work up to 8 hours a day and 40 hours per week when school is not in session for the entire school week. 

• Can work between 7 AM and 7 PM. When school is not in session, more specifically between June 1st through Labor Day, minors can work until 9 PM. 

• Cannot work during regular school hours 

Laws for minors 16-17:

• Can work up to 6 hours a day, 30 hours a week when school is in session. *

  • If a minor wants to work more than 30 hours per school week, they must complete the Certificate of Satisfactory Academic Standing Form and obtain Consent from a parent or guardian. 

• Can work up between 6 AM - 1030 PM if school is in session the next day and between 6 AM - 1 AM if school is not in session the following day. 

• There are no working restrictions when school is not in session.

Breaks
Minors under 18 years old are required to take a 30-minute lunch break for every 5 hours of continuous work. To learn more about Kentucky’s Child Labor Law Status and Regulars, see here.

Hiring
Kentucky law prohibits hiring discrimination based on the following if an employer has 8 or more employees:

• Race

• Color

• Religion

• National origin

• Sex

• Pregnancy

• Childbirth

• Age (over 40)

• Disability

• HIV status

• Black lung disease

• Smoking 

Firing
Kentucky employers have the right to terminate employees at will for nearly any reason and no reason at all provided the reason is not unlawful.