Pay, Leave, Travel & Reimbursements

Pay, Leave, Travel & Reimbursements

Oregon Homecare Workers (HCWs), Personal Support Workers (PSWs), and Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) may have access to different forms of compensation in addition to payment for authorized service hours.

This page explains commonly requested information about wage steps, paid holidays, Paid Leave Oregon, travel time, mileage, parking reimbursement, and tax documents.

Eligibility and claim procedures may depend on your provider type, program, authorized work, and payroll system. Always follow the current instructions from the agency or program responsible for your employment and payment.

Step Wages

The 2025–2027 Homecare Collective Bargaining Agreement uses a five-step wage schedule for represented Homecare Workers, Personal Support Workers, and Personal Care Attendants.

A provider’s step is based on the total number of eligible hours worked since January 1, 2023.

Current Rates—Effective January 1, 2026

Step 1 — Fewer than 2,000 hours: $21.25 per hour

Step 2 — 2,000 to 3,999 hours: $22.25 per hour

Step 3 — 4,000 to 5,999 hours: $23.25 per hour

Step 4 — 6,000 to 7,999 hours: $24.25 per hour

Step 5 — 8,000 hours or more: $25.25 per hour

Scheduled Rates—Effective January 1, 2027

Step 1 — Fewer than 2,000 hours: $23.00 per hour

Step 2 — 2,000 to 3,999 hours: $24.00 per hour

Step 3 — 4,000 to 5,999 hours: $25.00 per hour

Step 4 — 6,000 to 7,999 hours: $26.00 per hour

Step 5 — 8,000 hours or more: $27.00 per hour

Your Hourly Rate May Include Additional Differentials

Certification or service-related differentials may be added when both the provider and the work being performed meet the applicable requirements. A provider’s certification does not necessarily mean that every hour worked qualifies for the differential.

Check your paystub and contact the appropriate payroll or program office if you believe your wage step or an authorized differential is incorrect.

Paid Holidays

Represented Homecare Workers (HCWs), Personal Support Workers (PSWs), and Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) may receive holiday premium pay when they work authorized hours on an eligible holiday.

The nine eligible holidays are:

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day — third Monday in January
• Memorial Day — last Monday in May
• Juneteenth — June 19
• Independence Day — July 4
• Labor Day — first Monday in September
• Veterans Day — November 11
• Thanksgiving Day — fourth Thursday in November
• Christmas Day — December 25
• New Year’s Eve — December 31

Important: New Year’s Eve is an eligible holiday. New Year’s Day is not included in the current holiday-pay list.

How Holiday Pay Works

The first eight authorized hours actually worked on an eligible holiday are paid at one and one-half times the provider’s applicable hourly rate.

• If you work three authorized hours on the holiday, all three hours qualify for holiday premium pay.

• If you work eight authorized hours, all eight hours qualify.

• If you work ten authorized hours, the first eight hours qualify for holiday premium pay. The remaining two hours are paid at the applicable regular rate, unless another overtime rule applies.

Providers do not receive holiday pay merely because the holiday occurs. They must perform and correctly report authorized work on that holiday.

When the Additional Pay Arrives

Holiday pay may appear in two payments:

1. The regular-rate portion is paid according to the normal payroll schedule.

2. The additional half-time portion is generally paid during the later overtime and holiday-pay cycle—often approximately two weeks after the regular payment.

This later payment does not necessarily mean that part of the holiday pay is missing. Check the payroll calendar and the later overtime and holiday-pay cycle before reporting a payment problem.

Reporting Holiday Hours

Enter or submit the hours using the normal timekeeping and claim method for your provider type:

• HCWs and PCAs generally report their authorized hours through PTC DCI.

• PSWs generally report their authorized hours through eXPRS.

Report only the hours actually worked and authorized for that date. Holiday premium pay should be calculated automatically from the correctly submitted time entry or claim.

If the additional holiday payment does not arrive according to the applicable payroll calendar, contact the payroll or program office responsible for your provider type.

Paid Leave Oregon

Paid Leave Oregon is a state program that may provide wage-replacement benefits when an eligible employee needs time away from work for a qualifying family, medical, or safe-leave reason.

Paid Leave Oregon—not MHC, the consumer-employer, payroll company, or provider program—determines whether an applicant qualifies and the amount of benefits they may receive.

Who May Qualify?

Most employees who currently work in Oregon and earned at least $1,000 in Oregon during the applicable base year may qualify.

Full-time, part-time, and earnings from more than one job or employer can count. Eligibility is not guaranteed solely because someone works as a Homecare Worker (HCW), Personal Support Worker (PSW), or Personal Care Attendant (PCA). Paid Leave Oregon reviews each application.

Types of Paid Leave

Family Leave

May include bonding with a child after birth, adoption, or foster placement; completing certain activities related to adoption or foster placement; or caring for a family member with a serious health condition.

Medical Leave

May be available when the provider has a serious health condition and needs time away from work to care for themselves.

Safe Leave

May be available to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, harassment, bias crimes, or stalking.

How Much Leave May Be Available?

Eligible employees may receive up to 12 weeks of paid leave during a 52-week benefit year.

In some pregnancy-related situations, an employee may qualify for up to two additional weeks, for a possible total of 14 weeks.

Benefits replace a percentage of the employee’s wages. The exact weekly amount is calculated by Paid Leave Oregon using the applicant’s reported earnings.

Job Protection Is a Separate Question

Receiving wage-replacement benefits and having job protection are related but separate issues.

Paid Leave Oregon states that an employee’s position or role is generally protected after the employee has worked for the same employer for at least 90 consecutive days.

Homecare providers may work for more than one consumer-employer or through different provider programs. Do not assume that work performed for different consumers or programs will automatically be combined when determining job protection. Paid Leave Oregon or the responsible program should answer questions about a provider’s specific employment arrangement.

How to Apply

Providers apply directly through Frances Online, the State of Oregon’s benefits system.

Before applying:

• Gather your identification and contact information
• Review your recent paystubs and W-2 information
• Identify the provider program and payroll system connected to your work
• Determine the dates you expect to be unable to perform authorized work
• Prepare any documents required for the type of leave requested

If Frances Online asks for employer information and you are uncertain what to enter, contact the payroll or program office responsible for that work before guessing. A provider who works for multiple consumers or through multiple programs may have more than one employment record.

Keep Everyone Informed

Applying through Frances Online does not replace the need to notify the appropriate people that you will be unable to work.

Notify your consumer-employer and follow the absence or leave instructions required by the program responsible for your work. Provide notice as soon as reasonably possible and continue monitoring Frances Online for questionnaires, document requests, deadlines, and decisions.

Important Reminders

• Paid Leave Oregon pays approved benefits directly to the employee unless an employer uses an approved equivalent plan.

• Benefits are not the same as ordinary wages for authorized service hours.

• Do not claim service hours for times when you did not perform the authorized work.

• Paid Leave Oregon benefits may interact with Workers’ Compensation, unemployment benefits, sick time, or other leave programs.

• Paid Leave Oregon makes the final eligibility decision. MHC cannot determine whether a particular provider or absence qualifies.

Need Help?

Paid Leave Oregon

Phone: 833-854-0166

Hours: Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Carewell SEIU 503 Paid Time Off

Carewell Paid Time Off (PTO) is separate from Paid Leave Oregon. It is a benefit specifically for eligible Homecare Workers (HCWs), Personal Support Workers (PSWs), and Personal Care Attendants (PCAs).

Carewell PTO can be used when you want or need time away from work, including vacation or personal time. Unlike Paid Leave Oregon, you do not need to experience a qualifying family, medical, or safe-leave event.

How Carewell PTO Is Earned

Beginning in 2026, eligible providers can earn:

• 1 hour of PTO for every 20 eligible hours worked
• Up to 5 hours of PTO per month
• Up to 60 hours of PTO per year

If you work under more than one covered provider type, your eligible HCW, PSW, and PCA hours may be combined when Carewell calculates the PTO earned for that month. Hours from different months cannot be combined to earn PTO.

Requesting Your PTO Benefit

To receive Carewell PTO:

• Carewell must have a completed Form W-9 on file for you.
• You must have accumulated at least 8 hours of PTO before requesting payment.
• Use MyCarewell503 to check your balance and request your PTO benefit.

PTO earned during one month is generally added to your balance after Carewell receives and processes the reported work hours at the end of the following month.

Carewell PTO payments are taxable income. Depending on the amount you receive during the year, Carewell may issue a Form 1099. The benefit remains taxable even if you do not receive a Form 1099.

Carewell PTO and Paid Leave Oregon Are Different

Carewell PTO is an earned provider benefit that can be used for vacation or personal time. Paid Leave Oregon is a state-administered wage-replacement program for qualifying family, medical, and safe-leave reasons.

Applying for Paid Leave Oregon does not automatically request Carewell PTO, and requesting Carewell PTO does not constitute an application for Paid Leave Oregon. Contact the appropriate program if you need help deciding which benefit applies to your situation.

How Paid Leave Oregon Affects Carewell Benefits

Normally, working fewer than 40 hours for two consecutive months may affect a provider’s eligibility to maintain Carewell SEIU 503 benefits. However, Carewell states that an approved Paid Leave Oregon absence will not interrupt those benefits.

To continue being eligible after Paid Leave Oregon ends, the provider must return to covered work. A provider who does not begin working again after the approved leave ends may lose eligibility for Carewell benefits.

Because eligibility depends on Carewell’s records and the individual leave approval, contact Carewell SEIU 503 Benefits if you are planning leave, currently receiving Paid Leave Oregon benefits, or preparing to return to work.

Travel Time Between Consumers

Eligible providers may be paid for the time spent traveling directly between different consumers or qualifying worksites on the same day.

Travel time is different from mileage reimbursement:

• Travel-time pay compensates the provider for eligible travel time.

• Mileage reimbursement compensates the provider for eligible, authorized use of a personal vehicle.

A provider may qualify for one, both, or neither, depending on the circumstances and prior authorization.

When Travel Time May Qualify

Travel time may qualify when a provider travels on the same day:

• Directly from one consumer’s home to another consumer’s home

• From one qualifying worksite to another qualifying worksite

• From a consumer’s home or service location to the initial service-related location for another consumer, such as a pharmacy or grocery store

Travel time is calculated using the most direct reasonable route.

For providers using public transportation, the posted travel time between stops may be used to calculate and verify travel time.

When Travel Time Does Not Qualify

Ordinary commuting time from the provider’s home to the first consumer or worksite—and from the final consumer or worksite back home—is generally not paid travel time.

Travel may also be ineligible when the provider:

• Conducts personal business between consumers

• Does not travel directly between qualifying consumers or worksites

• Has a significant personal break between assignments

Under the current contract, a break of 60 minutes is generally considered significant unless circumstances such as distance, traffic, a collision, or uncontrollable natural conditions explain the delay.

Brief necessary stops, such as stopping for gas or using a restroom while traveling between consumers, do not automatically make the travel ineligible.

Travel-Time Limit

Travel time between consumers or worksites generally cannot exceed 10% of the provider’s authorized hours worked during the pay period.

Only ODHS or OHA Central Office may approve an exception to this limit when necessary to meet consumer needs. A request for an exception begins with the consumer’s case manager, personal agent, service coordinator, or other responsible case-management representative.

Providers are responsible for monitoring their travel-time claims and not exceeding the applicable limit without an approved exception.

How Travel Time Is Paid

Eligible travel time is paid at the provider’s applicable base-pay rate.

Certification and other hourly differentials do not apply to travel-time pay.

Driving that occurs while a provider is performing authorized services for a consumer is different from travel between consumers. Time spent providing authorized services—including qualifying service-related driving—is paid at the applicable hourly rate for that consumer.

How to Claim Travel Time

HCWs and PCAs

Use the official Travel Time Tracking Sheet and follow the submission instructions provided by the local ODHS, Area Agency on Aging, OHA, or other office responsible for your payment.

Do not enter travel between consumers as ordinary service hours for one consumer unless the responsible office has specifically instructed you to do so.

PSWs

Travel-time claims are generally entered through eXPRS. The travel must be between qualifying consumers or worksites and must satisfy the same-day and direct-travel requirements.

If the travel crosses programs or payment systems, contact the appropriate CDDP, Support Services Brokerage, CIIS program, or other Case Management Entity before submitting the claim. A different process or supporting record may be required.

Before Submitting a Travel-Time Claim

Record:

• The date of travel

• The consumer or worksite you traveled from

• The consumer or worksite you traveled to

• The time you left and arrived

• The most direct reasonable route

• Any unusual traffic, weather, collision, or other delay

• The provider program connected to each assignment

Keep a copy of the submitted record and any supporting documents.

Vehicle and Insurance Requirements

Providers using a personal vehicle for authorized work must maintain a valid United States driver’s license and current automobile insurance.

The Case Management Entity must have current verification of the provider’s license and insurance. Insurance verification must be provided at least every six months or whenever the policy renews, if renewal occurs more frequently.

Travel-time or mileage payment may be delayed until the required verification has been received and confirmed.

Mileage, Public Transportation & Parking Reimbursement

Travel-time pay and transportation reimbursement cover different expenses. Travel-time pay compensates eligible time spent traveling between consumers. Mileage, public-transportation, and parking reimbursement address eligible transportation costs.

Transportation must generally be authorized in advance. Do not assume that a trip will qualify for reimbursement merely because it was related to a consumer’s needs.

Personal-Vehicle Mileage

Effective January 1, 2026, eligible personal-vehicle miles for authorized, service-plan-related non-medical transportation are reimbursed at:

$0.70 per mile

The transportation and mileage must be authorized before the trip.

Examples may include authorized transportation connected to community activities, shopping, or other non-medical services identified in the consumer’s service plan.

Transportation to medical appointments may follow a different medical-transportation process and should not automatically be claimed as ordinary service-plan mileage.

Using the Consumer’s Vehicle

A provider who drives the consumer’s vehicle may be required to provide proof of a valid driver’s license.

Before driving the vehicle, the provider should confirm that the consumer’s automobile insurance permits the provider to operate it.

A provider cannot claim personal-vehicle mileage reimbursement when using the consumer’s vehicle.

Mileage Between Home and a Consumer

Ordinary travel from a provider’s home to a consumer’s home is generally considered commuting and is not normally eligible for mileage reimbursement.

The current agreement permits the state to authorize home-to-consumer mileage on a case-by-case basis when no available provider lives within a reasonable distance of the consumer.

This exception must be approved in advance. Providers should contact the consumer’s case manager, personal agent, service coordinator, or other Case Management Entity representative before claiming the mileage.

Public Transportation

When a provider must accompany a consumer using public transportation, the responsible Case Management Entity may reimburse the provider’s actual cost if the transportation was authorized in advance.

Keep receipts, tickets, fare records, or other proof of the expense.

How to Claim Mileage

HCWs and PCAs

Mileage entries and corrections generally require the PTC DCI Web Portal. Confirm that the transportation is authorized and that the responsible office has current verification of your driver’s license and automobile insurance.

PSWs

Authorized mileage is generally claimed through eXPRS using the appropriate transportation authorization. The available authorization and claim method depend on the consumer’s service plan and provider program.

Independent Choices PSWs receive reimbursement through the Consumer/Employer.

If you cannot locate the proper mileage authorization or claim option, contact the consumer’s CDDP, Support Services Brokerage, CIIS program, personal agent, service coordinator, or other responsible Case Management Entity before submitting the claim.

Parking Reimbursement

The Oregon Home Care Commission may reimburse a provider for the actual cost of parking when:

• Free parking is not available in the community surrounding the consumer’s home

• A prepaid parking permit cannot be obtained

• The provider performed authorized work on the date of the expense

This reimbursement does not apply to a provider who lives with the consumer.

What to Submit

Submit:

• A parking receipt showing the amount paid and the date the work was performed

• If the machine does not provide a receipt, a dated and timestamped photograph of the paid parking meter

• The consumer-employer’s initials

OHCC may verify that work was performed on the date of the parking expense and review the availability of free parking near the service location.

Distance from the Consumer’s Home

A parking request should not be denied solely because the parking location was considered too far away when:

• The parking was within one mile of the consumer’s home; or

• The expense occurred while the consumer was receiving services in the community and free parking was unavailable at that service location.

Important Parking-Fund Limitation

The contract establishes a limited statewide parking-reimbursement fund. Reimbursements may end after the available fund has been fully spent.

Submit requests and supporting documents promptly. OHCC will contact the provider if additional information is needed and will notify the provider whether the request is approved or denied.

Driver’s License and Insurance

Providers transporting consumers must maintain:

• A current, valid United States driver’s license

• Current automobile insurance for the personal vehicle being used

• Current license and insurance verification with the responsible Case Management Entity

Providers must tell their insurance carrier that the personal vehicle is being used for work activities.

Insurance verification must be provided at least every six months or whenever the policy renews, if it renews more frequently. Mileage or travel-time payment may be delayed until current verification is received.

💵 W-2s and Tax-Season Help

Your W-2 comes from the payroll organization that paid you. If you worked under more than one provider type or payroll system during the year, you may receive more than one W-2.

Homecare Workers (HCWs) and Personal Care Attendants (PCAs)

For help obtaining a W-2 or copies of paystubs, open the Oregon Home Care Workforce page and select the green General Customer Relations Support button.

Personal Support Workers (PSWs)

PSWs should check their PPL BetterOnline account for payroll and tax documents. Contact PPL if a W-2 is missing, unavailable or incorrect.

If Something Is Wrong

✓ Confirm which payroll organization issued the W-2.

✓ Compare the W-2 with your year-end paystubs or earnings records.

✓ Contact the issuing payroll organization to report an incorrect name, Social Security number, address, wages or tax withholding.

✓ If a correction is required, ask whether a corrected Form W-2c will be issued.

✓ Do not change the information printed on a W-2 yourself.

Employment and Income Verification Is Different

A W-2 is a tax document. Employment or income verification may be requested by a landlord, lender, benefits program or other organization.

PSWs use The Work Number with employer code 21517. HCWs and PCAs should use the green General Customer Relations Support button on the Oregon Home Care Workforce page.

Special Information for Some Live-In Providers

Certain payments made to providers who live with the person receiving care may qualify for special federal tax treatment under IRS Notice 2014-7. Eligibility depends on the provider’s individual circumstances and the program through which the payments were made.

MHC cannot determine whether payments are taxable or provide individual tax advice. Review the official IRS guidance or speak with a qualified tax professional before excluding income or changing a tax return.