Louisiana's law regarding wage payment for employees can be found in the following sections of Title 23 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes.

• 631. Discharge or resignation of employees; payment after termination of employment
• 633. Payment twice monthly in certain occupations; penalty for violations
• 634. Contract forfeiting wages on discharge unlawful
• 635. Assessment of fines against employees unlawful; exceptions
• 636. Penalty for Violations
• 640. Fringe benefits payable under collective bargaining agreements
• 301. Redemption in money to be made on demand
• 456. Permitted withholdings
• 963. Employers can not require employees to purchase food, clothing or merchandise from a particular store; Exception; Penalty for violations.

A.

(1)

(a) Discharge or resignation of employees; payment after termination of employment

Upon the discharge of any laborer or other employee of any kind whatever, it shall be the duty of the person employing such laborer or other employee to pay the amount then due under the terms of employment, whether the employment is by the hour, day, week, or month, on or before the next regular payday or no later than fifteen days following the date of discharge, whichever occurs first.

(b) Upon the resignation of any laborer or other employee of any kind whatever, it shall be the duty of the person employing such laborer or other employee to pay the amount then due under the terms of employment, whether the employment is by the hour, day, week, or month, on or before the next regular payday for the pay cycle during which the employee was working at the time of separation or no later than fifteen days following the date of resignation, whichever occurs first.

(2) Payment shall be made at the place and in the manner which has been customary during the employment, except that payment may be made via United States mail to the laborer or other employee, provided postage has been prepaid and the envelope properly addressed with the employee's or laborer's current address as shown in the employer's records. In the event payment is made by mail the employer shall be deemed to have made such payment when it is mailed. The timeliness of the mailing may be shown by an official United States postmark or other official documentation from the United States Postal Service.

(3) The provisions of this Subsection shall not apply when there is a collective bargaining agreement between the employer and the laborer or other employee which provides otherwise.

B. In the event of a dispute as to the amount due under this Section, the employer shall pay the undisputed portion of the amount due as provided for in Subsection A of this Section. The employee shall have the right to file an action to enforce such a wage claim and proceed pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure Article 2592

C. With respect to interstate common carriers by rail, a legal holiday shall not be considered in computing the fifteen-day period provided for in Subsection A of this Section.

D.

(1) For purposes of this Section, vacation pay will be considered an amount then due only if, in accordance with the stated vacation policy of the person employing such laborer or other employee, both of the following apply:

(a) The laborer or other employee is deemed eligible for and has accrued the right to take vacation time with pay.

(b) The laborer or other employee has not taken or been compensated for the vacation time as of the date of the discharge or resignation.

(2) The provisions of this Subsection shall not be interpreted to allow the forfeiture of any vacation pay actually earned by an employee pursuant to the employer's policy.

632. Liability of employer for failure to pay; attorney fees

Any employer who fails or refuses to comply with the provisions of R.S. 23:631 shall be liable to the employee either for ninety days wages at the employee's daily rate of pay, or else for full wages from the time the employee'sdemand for payment is made until the employer shall pay or tender the amount of unpaid wages due to such employee, whichever is the lesser amount of penalty wages. Reasonable attorney fees shall be allowed the laborer or employee by the court which shall be taxed as costs to be paid by the employer, in the event a well-founded suit for any unpaid wages whatsoever be filed by the laborer or employee after three days shall have elapsed from time of making the first demand following discharge or resignation.

633. Payment twice monthly in certain occupations; penalty for violations

A. Every person, engaged in manufacturing of any kind, or engaged in boring for oil and in mining operations, employing ten or more employees, and every public service corporation, shall make full payment to employees for services performed as often as once every two weeks or twice during each calendar month, which pay days shall be two weeks apart as near as is practicable, and such payment or settlement shall include all amounts due for labor or services performed up to not more than ten days previous to the time of payment, except that public service corporations shall not be required to make payment for labor or services performed up to more than fifteen days prior to the time of payment, provided that, except in cases of public service corporations, this Section shall not apply to the clerical force or to salesmen.

B. For purposes of this Section, the term "employee" does not include any individual employed in a bona fide executive, administrative, supervisory, or professional capacity.

C. Whoever violates any provision of this Section shall be fined not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than two hundred and fifty dollars, or imprisoned for not less than ten days, or both, for each offense and for each day's violation.

634. Contract forfeiting wages on discharge unlawful

A. No person, acting either for himself or as agent or otherwise, shall require any of his employees to sign contracts by which the employees shall forfeit their wages if discharged before the contract is completed or if the employees resign their employment before the contract is completed; but in all such cases the employees shall be entitled to the wages actually earned up to the time of their discharge or resignation.

B. Nothing in Subsection A of this Section or in R.S. 23:631(A) shall prohibit an employer from requiring an applicant for employment who becomes an employee or an employee, provided the employee is compensated at a rate equivalent to not less than one dollar above the existing federal minimum wage and is not a part-time or seasonal employee as defined in R.S. 23:1021, to sign a contract providing that the costs of such individual's preemployment medical examination or drug test may be withheld from his wages if he resigns within ninety working days from his first day of work, and, upon resignation, withholding such costs, unless such resignation is attributable to a substantial change made to the employment by the employer as applied in the Louisiana Employment Security Law.

635. Assessment of fines against employees unlawful; exceptions

No person, acting either for himself or as agent or otherwise, shall assess any fines against his employees or deduct any sum as fines from their wages. This Section shall not apply in cases where the employees wilfully or negligently damage goods or works, or in cases where the employees wilfully or negligently damage or break the property of the employer, or in cases where the employee is convicted or has pled guilty to the crime of theft of employer funds, but in such cases the fines shall not exceed the actual damage done.

636. Penalty for Violations

Whoever violates the provisions of R.S. 23:634 or R.S. 23:635, shall be fined not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than one hundred dollars, or imprisoned for not less than thirty days nor more than three months.

637. Non-resident plantation owners; suits against for wages, etc.; venue; service of citation

Mechanics, laborers and others doing work on plantations of non-resident proprietors may institute suit for recovery of their wages, labor, work or portion of the crop, as the case may be, against the non-resident proprietors of the plantations in the parish in which the labor or work was done and performed.

In all such cases it shall only be necessary to make service of the copy of citation and petition upon the agent, overseer, manager or other person having the control, management, or administration of the plantation, and in the employ of the non-resident proprietor.

639. Venue in suits for past wages

In addition to all other locations and courts in which such suit may be appropriate, workmen, laborers, clerks, and all other employees may sue their employers or hirers for any wages or salary due and owing in the district court ofthe parish where the work was performed.

640. Fringe benefits payable under collective bargaining agreements

Any and all amounts payable by employers under collective bargaining agreements with any labor organization for vacation, health and welfare, pension, apprenticeship and training, supplemental unemployment benefits, or any other fringe benefits considered as wages by the secretary of labor in determining prevailing wage rates shall be considered and treated as wages due by employers under R.S. 23:631-23:639 and employers shall be obligated to pay the said amounts to the trust funds, trustees, or other obligees to whom such payments shall be due and owing in the same manner and subject to the same penalties for nonpayment and the same provisions as to collection and enforcement by the said obligees as apply to ordinary wages under R.S. 23:631-23:639.

PART VII. TRADING CERTIFICATES, CHECKS OR TICKETS

301. Redemption in money to be made on demand

Any person issuing checks, punchouts, tickets, tokens, or other devices, redeemable either wholly or partially in goods or merchandise at their, or any other place of business, shall, on demand of any legal holder thereof, on the next pay day of the issuer following the date of issuance, be liable for the full face value in current money of the United States.

302. Certificates, etc., to be treated as payable to bearer on demand in money

Any check, punchout, ticket, token, or other device, issued by any person under the provisions of R.S. 51:301 shall be payable to bearer, on demand, in current money of the United States, notwithstanding any contrary stipulation or provision.

303. Violation; penalty

No person shall fail or refuse to pay any legal holder of any such checks, punchouts, tickets, tokens, or other devices as described in R.S. 51:301, issued by them in payment of labor, the full face value in current money of the United States, on their regular pay day when demanded by the legal holder.

Whoever violates this Section shall be fined not less than fifty dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, or imprisoned for not more than ninety days.

456. Permitted withholdings

A. Payroll deductions shall be authorized only for the following:

(1) Mandated federal or state income withholdings, credit unions, garnishments, liens, union dues, savings bonds programs, qualified United Way entities, health and life insurance products offered through the Office of Group Benefits, and products having state participating contributions, sponsored by the Office of Group Benefits, which qualify and are offered under Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code (Cafeteria Plan).
(2) Products offered without state contributory participation which have been evaluated and approved in accordance with rules and procedures promulgated by the commissioner of administration.

B. Except for deductions required by law, no withholding may be made from the earnings of any employee for the purposes permitted by this Section unless the withholding is specifically and voluntarily authorized by the employee in writing. Any amount withheld in accordance with the provisions of this Section shall be remitted to the organization designated on a regularly scheduled basis as prescribed by rules promulgated by the division of administration and administered by the state payroll office as provided in R.S. 42:455.

456.1. Permitted withholding; Louisiana Student Tuition Assistance and Revenue Trust Program education savings account

A. Notwithstanding any law, rule, or regulation to the contrary and effective July 1, 1997, and thereafter, any employee of the state or of a political subdivision in the state may authorize his employing department, office, or agency to withhold from his salary a specific amount for such pay periods as may be designated, for deposit into an education savings account as provided for by R.S. 17:3091 et seq., relative to the Louisiana Student Tuition Assistance and Revenue Trust Program.

B. Distribution of funds to a Louisiana Student Tuition Assistance and Revenue Trust Program education savings account shall be made based upon the payroll deduction collection record of the department, office, or agency.

C. No withholding may be made from the earnings of any employee for the purposes permitted by this Section unless the withholding is specifically and voluntarily authorized by the employee in writing. Any amount withheld in accordance with the provisions of this Section shall be remitted to the Louisiana Student Tuition Assistance and Revenue Trust Program on a regularly scheduled basis as prescribed by rules adopted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act by the Louisiana Tuition Trust Authority

963. Employers can not require employees to purchase food, clothing or merchandise from a particular store; Exception; Penalty for violations.

No person shall coerce or require any of his employees to deal with or purchase any article of food, clothing or merchandise of any kind whatsoever from any person, or exclude from work, punish, or blacklist any of his employees for their failure to deal with another or to purchase any article of food, clothing or merchandise whatsoever from another or at any place whatsoever. Nothing contained in this Section shall apply to the sale and purchase of uniforms.

Whoever violates the provisions of this Section shall be fined not less than fifty dollars nor more than one hundred dollars, or imprisoned for not less than thirty days nor more than ninety days, or both.