Louisiana imposes few employment guardrails while leaving many benefit standards up to employer policy. Reliance on federal OSHA standards and targeted limits on physician non-compete agreements, for example, balance the state’s hands-off stance towards other benefit types, such as paid sick or family leave.
When it comes to talent and workforce management, Louisiana-based employers need to comply with the following state employment laws:
The below information was last updated September 9, 2025. It is not intended as legal advice. Also, unless otherwise noted below, the following laws predominantly apply to the private sector.
A subset of employment law, labor law focuses on the relationships between employers, employees, and labor unions, particularly in the context of collective bargaining and workplace rights.
Central to US labor law is the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which protects employees’ rights to organize, join unions, and negotiate working conditions while restricting unfair labor practices. Still, states can enact additional laws, such as Right-to-Work statutes, that influence union membership and dues requirements.
Right-to-work states prohibit employers from requiring union membership or dues as a condition of employment (a.k.a. union security agreements).
Louisiana is one of 26 states that currently have right-to-work laws.
Employment law governs the individual rights of employees and their professional relationship with their employers, such as working hours, fair wages, anti-discrimination protections, and workplace safety.
| Louisiana Minimum Wage | The state of Louisiana mirrors the federal minimum wage rate of $7.25, including the tipped minimum wage rate of $2.13 for employees who earn tips with their base pay. |
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Louisiana Overtime Pay Laws |
Louisiana doesn't currently have any overtime pay laws or regulations. However, Louisiana-based employers must still comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act's (FLSA) requirement that nonexempt employees receive one-and-a-half times their normal pay rate when working over 40 hours a week. |
| Louisiana Pay Equity Law | Under the Louisiana Employment Discrimination law, employers in Louisiana may not discriminate based on certain protected characteristics. It is unlawful for an employer to intentionally fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to intentionally discriminate against any individual with respect to compensation, or terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of the individual's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or natural, protective, or cultural heritage. It is also unlawful for an employer to intentionally pay wages to an employee at a rate less than that of another employee of the opposite sex for equal work on jobs in which their performance requires equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and which are performed under similar working conditions. An employer paying wages in violation of this law may not reduce the wages of any other employee to comply with this law. This applies to private employers who employ 20 or more employees within this state for each working day in each of twenty or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year. |
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Louisiana Pay Transparency Law |
Louisiana currently has no pay transparency laws or regulations. |
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Louisiana Final Paycheck Law |
In Louisiana, employees who voluntarily resign from a job or are involuntarily terminated must receive their final paycheck by the next regular payday or within 15 days of resignation or termination, whichever is earlier. |
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Louisiana PTO Payout Laws |
Louisiana currently requires employers to pay out any accrued, unused vacation time or any other fringe benefit upon termination. It also allows the use of "use-it-or-lose-it" policies. |
| Louisiana Paid Sick Leave (PSL) | Louisiana currently has no paid sick leave laws or regulations. |
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Louisiana Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) |
Louisiana currently has no PFML laws or regulations. However, employers with 50 or more employees must still comply with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which provides eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave every 12 months for various reasons. |
| Louisiana Maternity Leave | Louisiana doesn't have a maternity leave law, as this type of leave is an employer-provided benefit. Since the state also doesn’t have a mandated PFML program, employees must instead use FMLA leave or another type of employer-provided leave. |
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Louisiana Voting Leave Law |
Louisiana currently has no voting leave laws or regulations. |
All states must comply with federal health and safety standards overseen by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
While some states adopt additional health and safety regulations, Louisiana is an "OSHA plan" state, meaning it defers to OSHA's requirements when addressing health and safety matters, such as having an emergency action plan or providing medical and first aid supplies.
Louisiana currently has no work break laws or regulations for employees over the age of 18.
As described by Louisiana Revised Statute 23:332 and enforced by the Louisiana Commission on Human Rights, employers in Louisiana are prohibited from discriminating against employees based on:
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Louisiana also requires employers to comply with specific anti-harassment mandates, as outlined in Title VII of the federal 1964 Civil Rights Act. Employers must, for example, clearly communicate to employees that unwelcome harassing conduct will not be tolerated and should strive to create an environment in which employees feel free to raise concerns.
The state doesn't, however, require employees to complete any harassment or discrimination training courses.
| Louisiana Non-Compete Agreement Laws | Louisiana is one of several states that limit the use of non-compete agreements. Generally, Louisiana employers and employees, franchisors and franchisees, and partners can enter into noncompetition agreements, also known as restrictive covenants, under certain circumstances. However, as of January 1, 2025, Louisiana Revised Statute § 23:921 limits non-compete agreements between employers and physicians. The law limits the duration, distance, and other provisions between employers and primary care physicians, and all other physicians. |
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Louisiana Retirement Plan Laws |
Louisiana currently has no mandatory retirement plan laws or regulations. |
| Louisiana Lactation Law | State law LA SB 215 provides for the reasonable accommodations of certain employees, including for scheduled and more frequent or longer break periods and a private place other than a bathroom for the purpose of expressing breast milk. |
| Louisiana Employment Verification Laws | Under Louisiana Revised Statute § 23:995, all Louisiana employers must either use E-Verify or accept and retain picture identification of employees and one of the enumerated documents in the law. |
This information is provided as a courtesy and may be updated at any time. It is not intended as legal guidance. If you have questions or concerns, we encourage you to seek the advice of a qualified employment or labor attorney or advisor.
Between constantly changing employment laws and updates to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), keeping your workplace compliant can be a time-consuming and costly challenge. Eliminate the stress and stay up to date with our Compliance Dashboard. View compliance alerts and get a bird’s eye view of what you need to do to avoid fines and penalties.
