Minimum Wage in Louisiana

A brief guide to minimum wage in Louisiana

Employees are protected under the law in many ways. Minimum wages in Louisiana must be paid by nearly all employers. It is important to be aware of the compensation you are owed under the law in order to ensure that you are not taken advantage of.

Rather than fixing their own rate, the minimum wage in Louisiana is the same as set by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. An employer must pay no less than $7.25 an hour or they are in violation of the law. In addition to minimum wages in Louisiana, an employer must pay overtime for every hour of work performed in excess of 40 hours a week. This rate is $10.88 an hour. Note that no time limit is set on how many overtime hours a week an employer may have their workers perform.

To avoid paying overtime wages, unscrupulous employers may attempt to combine all minimum wages in Louisiana into a lump-sum payment. They will then claim that as a salaried employee, you are not entitled to overtime compensation. However, an employee who is making minimum wage in Louisiana cannot be a salaried worker. This category is reserved for people whose work is primarily intellectual and administrative, requiring a high degree of specialized knowledge. Such is not the case for someone who is making minimum wage in Louisiana.

Certain categories of workers are not required to receive overtime payments. These include most salespeople and those who work in transportation and are paid a fixed rate for every trip made.

An important exception to such rules concerns employees who are under the age of 20. In their case, minimum wages in Louisiana are set at $4.25 an hour for the first 90 days of their employment. After this period has passed or an employee has turned 20 years of age, they must be paid the same rate as any other worker.

Anyone who feels that their employer is in violation of laws concerning minimum wage in Louisiana should contact the Hours and Wages division of the United States Department of Labor. This government agency will investigate your claims. If an employer is found to have failed to pay minimum wages in Louisiana or otherwise defrauded their employees, they may be able to compel payment of underpaid or unpaid wages.

Should this government agency decline to assist you in such a matter, you may wish to contact a lawyer experienced in this kind of litigation. By going to civil court, you may be able to prove that an employer has failed to comply with regulations concerning minimum wages in Louisiana or overtime payments. If there is a good chance you will be awarded financial compensation, you may be able to obtain free legal representation. A lawyer will file a lawsuit relating to underpayment of minimum wage in Louisiana on a contingency basis. Rather than charging you directly for their services, they will take a percentage of whatever you are awarded.