LA · state labor law, 2026
Louisiana labor laws: minimum wage, overtime, leave, final pay and breaks
Louisiana has no minimum wage law of its own, but it is stricter than many states on two points: the last paycheck and earned vacation.
Louisiana and federal rules checked on official sources on · Checked by Radif Partners · How we calculate
- Minimum wage now
- $7.25/h
- federal floor applies
- Next change
- none announced
- checked October 11, 2026
- Tipped cash wage
- $2.13/h
- tips must make up the rest
- Overtime
- 40 h/week
- federal FLSA rule
- Paid sick leave
- no state law
- employer policy
- Paid family leave
- no program
- FMLA is unpaid
Louisiana is one of the few states with no minimum wage statute at all, so workers covered by federal law are owed the federal $7.25 an hour, or $15,080 a year at full time, and tipped workers at least $2.13 in cash plus tips. Overtime follows the federal rule of time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. There is no state paid sick leave or paid family leave, and adults have no break law. Where Louisiana does protect workers is the end of the job: whether you are fired or you quit, your final wages are due by the next regular payday or within 15 days, whichever comes first, and vacation you have earned under the employer's policy is part of those wages and cannot be taken away by a forfeiture rule.
Gross pay for this week in Louisiana
$290
Time and a half after 40 hours in a week (federal rule)
| Minimum wage in Louisiana now | $7.25 an hour (federal floor) |
| Your rate against it | At or above the minimum |
| Overtime: none this week | $0 |
| Paid sick leave earned in a year | No statewide paid sick leave law |
| Breaks owed in a 8-hour shift | None for adults (minors only) |
| Final paycheck if fired | on or before the next regular payday or within 15 days of discharge, whichever comes first |
| Unused vacation at the end | Accrued vacation must be paid out |
| Paid family leave | No state program |
40 hours a week at $7.25. State rule applied. Minimum wage, overtime and leave rules have exceptions by employer size and industry. How this is calculated.
No state minimum wage law
Louisiana never enacted a general minimum wage, so the Louisiana Workforce Commission has no state rate to enforce. Workers whose employer is covered by the FLSA get $7.25; employees of very small, purely local businesses can fall outside both laws. Tipped staff in restaurants and bars follow the federal tip credit rules: a cash wage of $2.13, tips counted toward the rest, and a top-up from the employer when tips fall short in a workweek.
Do your tips cover the minimum wage?
Employer top-up owed per hour
$1.12
| Cash wage | $2.13 |
| Cash wage + tips | $6.13 |
| Minimum wage in Louisiana | $7.25 |
| Top-up over a 30-hour week | $34 |
The 15-day rule for final wages
Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 23 treat a resignation and a dismissal the same way. The employer pays everything owed on or before the next regular payday for the pay cycle worked, or within 15 days of the separation, whichever comes first. A worker let go on the 1st of a month with a monthly payday on the 30th is therefore owed final pay by the 16th. The amount includes earned, unused vacation: under the statute, an employer cannot write a policy that makes earned vacation pay disappear when you leave.
Is your unused PTO paid out?
Louisiana: payout
Must be paid
| Value of the balance | $880 |
| When it is due | on or before the next regular payday or within 15 days of discharge, whichever comes first |
Overtime on offshore and plant schedules
Long rotations are common in Louisiana's refineries, plants and offshore work, and the federal rule still counts only the workweek. Four 12-hour shifts make 48 hours, so a technician paid $19 an hour is owed 8 overtime hours and $988 for the week; a 12-hour day alone triggers nothing. Hours spent in required safety meetings, travel between job sites during the workday and waiting time that the employer controls generally count as hours worked under federal rules, which is where many overtime disputes start; the overtime rules page computes a week under the federal standard.
Leave and breaks
Paid sick days and paid family leave are left to employers. The federal FMLA gives eligible workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave. Break rules exist only for minors under 16, who must get a 30-minute meal interval in any 5-hour work period. Louisiana is a right-to-work state, and employment is at will.
Where to turn
Because Louisiana has no state minimum wage or overtime law, complaints about an hourly rate below $7.25 or unpaid overtime go to the federal Wage and Hour Division, which investigates without charge. Disputes about the 15-day final pay rule or forfeited vacation are state law questions, usually pursued as a civil claim, often first through a written demand to the employer that cites the statute. Keep a record of your hours, your pay stubs and the vacation balance on your last stub.
Louisiana employment rules at a glance, 2026
Minimum wage schedule
| From | Who it covers | Rate | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Statewide (federal minimum) | $7.25 | No state minimum wage law; the federal FLSA rate applies to covered employers |
Louisiana has no state rate above the federal floor, so employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act pay at least $7.25 an hour. Federal minimum wage applies (no state law). Read the Louisiana rule.
Overtime
Time and a half after 40 hours in a week. The salary test for exempt employees is the federal $684 a week. No state overtime law; federal FLSA overtime (after 40 hours a week) applies to covered employers. source
Sick leave and family leave
Louisiana has no statewide paid sick leave law for private employers; leave depends on the employer's policy or a city ordinance. No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers.
No state paid family leave insurance: the federal FMLA gives eligible workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave.
Final paycheck and unused vacation
Fired or laid off: on or before the next regular payday or within 15 days of discharge, whichever comes first. Quitting: on or before the next regular payday for the pay cycle worked, or within 15 days of resignation, whichever comes first. Vacation: Vacation accrued and unused under the employer's policy is wages due at separation; earned vacation pay cannot be forfeited.. source vacation rule
Meal and rest breaks
No meal break is required for adults by state law. No paid rest break is required for adults. Minors under 16: a 30-minute meal interval in any 5-hour work period. source
Unions and dismissal
Louisiana is a right-to-work state: a union contract cannot require you to pay dues or fees to keep your job. Employment is at will: either side may end it at any time, except for an illegal reason such as discrimination or retaliation, or against a contract. source