Can Paid Caregivers Work Overtime?

Home care services are some of the fastest growing industries in the country, yet home caregiving is currently one of the most understaffed jobs of 2019. For those who are looking to explore the possibilities of pursuing a career as a home caregiver (also known as a personal care assistant), now is the perfect time.

In a previous post, we discussed the topic of how many hours a personal care assistant can work in the state of Minnesota. This week we wanted to focus on answering the following question, “Can personal care assistants work overtime?” In any job, it’s important to understand overtime restrictions, but especially in-home caregiving, as this type of career allows you to design and dictate your own hours and schedules.

Here’s what you need to know about working overtime as a caregiver in Minnesota:

• According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services, a caregiver is limited to providing and receiving pay for no more than 275 hours of personal care assistant services per month.
• This is the maximum number, regardless of how many patients you may provide care for.
• A caregiver is also required to receive permission from their home care agency before working overtime.
• At Best Home Care, a personal care assistant must receive written permission in order to work overtime (i.e. more than 40 hours per week).
• If you’re a personal care assistant who works with PCA Choice clients, you are NOT eligible to work overtime.

The issue of overtime is especially relevant if you’re caring for a family member. It may be tempting, at times, to log a few more hours with them, but it’s important to not exceed the maximum hours of paid care for which your client is approved. Before beginning home care services, the recipient will be evaluated for his/her eligibility. This is known as a PCA assessment, and it helps determine how many hours you may provide care.

To learn more about getting a PCA assessment or if you’d like to hire a loved one to provide home care services, contact us at Best Home Care today.