Louisiana Required Update: Minor Labor Law

Louisiana has updated its Minor Labor Law state-mandated posting. The notice has been revised to reflect child labor law changes effective August 15, 2011 per H.B. 303. Under the new provisions, the following child labor law changes will be implemented:

Hour restrictions for 14 & 15 year olds

• Under former law: Minors could not work between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. when school was in session, but could work until 9 p.m. on a day prior to a non-school day.
• Changes: Minors may not work between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. except that from June 1 through Labor Day, they may work between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. School year and week is determined by the school calendar or public school calendar for the district in which the minor is enrolled. Limits on the number of hours per day and week remain the same as under former law.

Employment Certificates

• Under former law: The employer was required to return the employment certificate to the issuing officer within 3 days of termination of the minor.
• Changes: After termination of a minor’s employment, employers are required to maintain the certificate on file for a period of 14 days and are not required to return it to the issuing officer.

De minimis

• Under former law: The length of the meal break was 30 minutes, however any difference in the length of the meal break less than 15 minutes was to be considered de minimis and not a violation.
• Changes: Changes the less-than-15-minutes interval, to an interval of 10 minutes or less. The length of the meal break is 30 minutes, however, if the break is at least 20 minutes long, the difference shall be considered de minimis and not a violation. Breaks must be documented and, if the minor fails to clock in or out and an edit is necessary, the edit must be documented in writing by the minor and the manager.

Posting requirement

Every employer of minors shall keep conspicuously posted at the place of employment a printed abstract of the provisions of law relating to the employment of minors prepared and furnished by the Louisiana Workforce Commission. (R.S. 23:217)

Employers can comply with the state-mandated posting requirement using Compliance Poster Company’s 8/2011 Louisiana Minor Labor Law Peel ‘N Post, or the updated 8/2011 Louisiana State & Federal All-On-One Labor Law Poster. The LA Peel ‘N Post and the LA All-On-One Poster are available in both English and Spanish.