Kentucky introduced House Bill 229 (HB 229) in the 2025 legislative session to establish a “right to disconnect” policy, requiring employers to let employees ignore work communications during nonworking hours, though the bill remains in committee without passage as of late 2025. This reflects growing national interest in work-life balance amid debates on after-hours contact, but Kentucky has not enacted it into law. Existing labor laws focus on wages, overtime, and breaks rather than disconnection rights.​
Bill Provisions
HB 229 mandates every employer create a policy defining nonworking hours via employee agreement, allowing employees to ignore employer communications except in emergencies or for scheduling. It excludes workers under collective bargaining agreements and imposes fines of $100 to $1,000 for three or more violations, enforced by the Education and Labor Cabinet. Nonworking hours mean time outside assigned shifts, with emergencies covering threats to people, operations, or property.​
Current Labor Framework
Kentucky follows federal FLSA standards for overtime, paying non-exempt employees 1.5 times their rate over 40 hours weekly, with no state-specific right to disconnect or after-hours pay mandates. State laws require meal breaks for certain shifts but lack protections against non-emergency off-hours contact, leaving on-call pay to case specifics like whether employees can use time freely. Violations trigger civil penalties up to $1,000 per offense.​
National Context
Similar “right to disconnect” bills have stalled in states like California and Maryland, with SHRM opposing them for business burdens. Kentucky’s HB 229, sponsored by Reps. Willner, Brown Jr., and Chester-Burton, advanced to the House Economic Development & Workforce Investment Committee on February 7, 2025, but no further action occurred. If passed, it would amend KRS Chapter 337 for penalties aligned with wage violations.
SOURCES
[1](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/25rs/hb229.html)
[2](https://factorialhr.com/blog/kentucky-state-labor-laws/)
[3](https://www.shrm.org/advocacy/states-continue-to-debate-right-to-disconnect-legislation)
[4](https://elc.ky.gov/workplace-standards/Pages/Wages-and-Hours.aspx)
[5](https://innago.com/louisiana-landlord-tenant-laws/)
