Leave - Kentucky

Jury duty

Kentucky law doesn’t require private employers to pay employees on jury duty.

Voting

Kentucky law allows employees four hours off to vote. Deductions of pay are not allowed. Employer may specify the time off. Employees must give notice before the day of election.

Emergency service volunteers

Employers cannot terminate employees who are working in their capacity as volunteer firefighters, rescue squad members, emergency medical technicians, peace officers, or members of an emergency management agencies for being late or absent from employment while responding to an emergency before their scheduled start time at work.

The Wages and Hours chapter under the Kentucky Revised Statutes defines an “employer" as any person — whether individual, corporation, partnership, agency, or firm — that employs an employee. The definition includes any person, whether individual, corporation, partnership, agency, or firm, acting directly or indirectly in the interest of an employer in relation to an employee.

Employers may request an employee provide a written statement from the supervisor of the emergency response agency stating the employee responded to an emergency and listing the time and date of the emergency. An employer may charge any time employees are absent from work due to emergency response activities against the employee’s regular pay.

An employer cannot terminate an employee who is absent from work for 12 months or less due to an injury incurred in the line of duty. At the request of the employer, the employee should provide a written statement from his or her emergency service supervisor stating the employee was on active duty and assignment when the injury occurred. The employee should also, at the employer’s request, provide a written statement from at least one physician stating that the employee is injured and a date for the employee’s return to work.