Minimum Wage $7.25 PER HOUR
Louisiana has no state minimum-wage law — it is one of only five states without one — so the federal rate of $7.25 per hour applies to nearly all workers. An employer cannot pay less than $7.25 for any hour worked, and cannot average pay across hours to bring a lower-paid stretch up into compliance.
Tipped employees may be paid a cash wage as low as $2.13 per hour, with the employer taking a tip credit of up to $5.12. If your tips combined with that base wage do not reach $7.25 per hour, your employer is required to make up the difference. No Louisiana city or parish has set a higher local minimum wage, so the federal floor applies statewide.
Overtime Laws 1.5X RATE
Louisiana has no state overtime law, so overtime follows the federal FLSA. Non-exempt employees earn one and a half times their regular rate for all hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. At $7.25 per hour, that puts the overtime floor at $10.88.
Overtime is calculated on a weekly basis. Louisiana has no daily overtime rule and no double-time requirement, so working long hours on a single day does not trigger overtime unless total hours for the week exceed 40. Each workweek stands alone — an employer cannot average hours across two weeks to avoid paying overtime.
A salary does not automatically make you ineligible for overtime. Exemptions apply only to bona fide executive, administrative, and professional employees who meet the federal salary threshold, and the job title alone is never enough — your actual duties control. If your real responsibilities involve routine tasks under supervision, you may be owed overtime no matter how you are classified.
Meal & Rest Breaks NO MANDATED BREAKS
Louisiana does not require employers to provide meal or rest breaks to adult employees. The only exception is for workers under 16, who must receive a break of at least 30 minutes during any five-hour work period.
When an employer does provide a short break of 20 minutes or less, federal law generally requires that time to be paid. A meal period of 30 minutes or more may be unpaid only if you are fully relieved of duties — if you have to keep working, such as covering the phones while you eat, that time must be paid.
Final Paycheck 15 DAYS
Louisiana has one of the stronger final-pay laws in the country. Under R.S. 23:631, an employer must pay all wages due by the next regular payday or within 15 days of the separation, whichever comes first. This rule is the same whether you quit, were fired, or were laid off, and it covers all earned wages, including overtime and calculable commissions.
Filing a Claim 2-3 YEAR WINDOW
Because Louisiana wage and overtime claims run under the federal FLSA, the deadline is two years from the violation, or three years if the employer's violation was willful. The clock starts from the date the wages should have been paid, not the date you discovered the problem, and every week of unpaid wages carries its own deadline.
A worker who wins a minimum-wage or overtime case can recover liquidated damages equal to the unpaid wages. If your employer failed to pay you $1,600 in overtime, you may be entitled to an additional $1,600, for a total of $3,200 — unless the employer proves the violation was in good faith.
Employee Misclassification COMMON VIOLATION
Some Louisiana employers label workers as independent contractors or exempt employees to avoid paying overtime. What your job title or contract says does not control — what matters is the economic reality of the working relationship and your actual day-to-day duties. If you depend on that employer for work and your tasks are central to its business, you are likely an employee entitled to overtime regardless of the label.
This article is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this content does not create an attorney-client relationship with Josephson Dunlap LLP. Wage and hour laws vary by state, and the application of these laws depends on the specific facts of each situation. The figures and information cited above are current as of the date of publication and are subject to change. Prior results in other matters do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future matter. If you believe your wages were not paid correctly, consult a qualified, licensed employment attorney.
Think You May Be Owed Back Wages?
Josephson Dunlap reviews wage claims for Louisiana workers at no cost. There is no fee unless wages are recovered. A case manager will go through your situation and tell you where you stand.