IHSS providers are now eligible to receive overtime, travel time, and medical wait time pay
Overtime, travel time, and medical wait time pay are a historic new benefit for IHSS providers, and in many cases are life-changing for families. And with these new benefits come new IHSS program rules. Keep in mind, while your IHSS timesheet will not change, how you record your hours may change.
Remember, reporting hours on your timesheet that violate any of the new rules regarding overtime, travel time, and medical wait time will result in penalties.
UDW is here to help! If you need assistance completing your IHSS timesheet, or have questions about the new IHSS program rules, contact the UDW Member Resource Center at 1-800-621-5016.
What are the new timesheet rules?
The new timesheet rules have been put in place to prevent providers from working more IHSS hours than they are authorized. For this reason, it is important that providers do not turn in timesheets with more than your clients’ number of maximum weekly hours.
- All IHSS recipients will now be assigned “maximum weekly hours.” To find your recipients’ maximum weekly hours, divide their total monthly authorized hours by four.
- The timesheet itself will not change. Continue reporting your hours worked on your timesheet as you always have.
- If you have one recipient and you are that recipient’s only provider, do not report more than the recipient’s maximum weekly hours.
- If you have multiple recipients, do not report more than 66 hours per week.
- If your recipient needs you to work more hours than usual and this results in you working overtime if you don’t normally work overtime or if the change would result in you working more overtime than usual, that change in schedule must be approved by the county before you submit your timesheet. Overtime is working more than 40 hours per week.
- Our union has fought for and won various exemptions to the workweek limit to accommodate providers who need to work more than 66 hours a week. More info on exemptions can be found here.
- Providers who travel between 2 or more clients in the same day are eligible for travel time pay. Travel time does not count towards weekly maximum hours, however travel time is limited to no more than 7 hours per week. More information on travel time pay can be found here.
- Providers whose IHSS clients already have medical accompaniment hours will be assessed for medical wait time by their county social worker. Your clients’ monthly authorized hours and maximum weekly hours will be adjusted accordingly. More information on medical wait time can be found here.
MORE RESOURCES
General overtime information – English | Spanish | Vietnamese
Timesheet violations & penalties flyer – English | Spanish | Vietnamese
Overtime exemptions
- Informational flyer – English | Spanish | Vietnamese
- Parent and grandparent providers (categorical exemption)
- Providers with multiple clients (extraordinary circumstances exemption)
- WPCS providers (waiver exemption)
- For questions about categorical and extraordinary circumstances exemptions, call 916-551-1011
- For questions about the waiver exemption, call 916-445-4611 or email IHOWaiver@dhcs.ca.gov
Find out how overtime impacts you and your client:
- IHSS providers with one IHSS recipient – English | Spanish | Vietnamese
- IHSS providers with more than one IHSS recipient – English | Spanish | Vietnamese
- IHSS providers with one IHSS recipient who has multiple IHSS providers – English | Spanish | Vietnamese
- Live-in IHSS provider for more than one family member – English | Spanish | Vietnamese
2016 Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) New Program Requirements Video – English | English script
- This video explains the IHSS program changes regarding overtime and travel time pay, information on violations, and provides instructions on properly completing your timesheet in order to avoid violations.
Violations are penalties IHSS providers will receive for exceeding workweek or travel time limits. Violation consequences start with a notice, and progress in severity to a one-year termination from the IHSS program.
IMPORTANT: If you receive a violation notice in the mail but were never counseled by a social worker about how to properly fill out your timesheet to avoid penalties, contact UDW immediately at 1-800-621-5016.
Continue reading for more information on the new IHSS timesheet rules, and how they affect the way you complete your timesheet.
