Louisiana Employee Handbook

When your company hires employees in Louisiana, you are required to comply with federal, state, and local employment laws. There are a variety of human resources and labor policies in the workplace that differ by state. Through your employee handbook, employers can easily document and distribute the correct policies to their employees to comply with the laws of each state.

Creating your Louisiana Employee Handbook is a useful way to explain important policies and procedures, mitigate legal risk, and introduce employees to the expectations and operating practices of the organization.

Mosey has compiled the relevant policies a company with employees in Louisiana must consider.

Louisiana Employee Handbook Policies

There are 10 state and local employee handbook policies in Louisiana.

Leaves of Absence

Louisiana Military Leave Policy

You are entitled to job-protected leave when called to active military service, including intermittent service. You must provide advance written or verbal notice to your manager before taking military leave. If military necessity or other circumstances make it impossible or unreasonable to provide notice, this requirement may be waived.

Louisiana School Visitation Leave Policy

You are entitled to take up to 16 hours of unpaid leave during any rolling 12-month period to attend, observe, or participate in school or daycare activities related to your dependent children. You must provide reasonable notice to Employer before taking leave. You may also choose to use accrued vacation or paid leave.

Louisiana Jury Duty Leave Policy

You are entitled to job-protected leave to serve on jury duty. The first day of jury service is paid, with no deductions from your vacation, PTO, or other paid leave balances. After the first day of jury service, any additional days of leave will be unpaid unless you choose to use available paid leave. You must provide your manager with as much advance notice as possible, and return to work after service completes, even for a half day.

Louisiana Volunteer Emergency Responder Leave Policy

You are entitled to job-protected leave to respond to emergencies if you are a certified volunteer firefighter, a member of a volunteer fire department, or emergency medical services personnel.

Louisiana Bone Marrow Donation Leave Policy

Employer is required to provide employees with up to 40 hours of leave per year to donate, or attempt to donate bone marrow.

Louisiana Pregnancy Leave Policy

You are entitled to take unpaid leave due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions for a minimum of six weeks, and up to four months if complications arise.

Privacy

Louisiana Electronic Monitoring Privacy Policy

Employer may monitor telephone conversations or transmissions, electronic mail or transmissions, or internet access or usage by an employee by any electronic device or system, including but not limited to the use of a computer, telephone, wire, radio or electromagnetic, photoelectronic or photo-optical systems may be subject to monitoring.

Louisiana Political Opinion and Affiliations Policy

Employer will not discharge or discriminate against any employee based on their political beliefs or affiliations. Employees are encouraged to participate in politics and may run for public office without fear of retaliation.

Louisiana Smoking Policy

Employer will not discriminate against employees for smoking outside of work hours and off company premises.

Louisiana Social Media Privacy Policy

Generally, Employer is prohibited from accessing your personal social media accounts and will not discipline or terminate an employee for refusing to disclose their social media login information or for denying to provide access to their social media accounts.

Federal Employee Handbook Policies

Regardless of which states you have employees in, there are required federal policies that must be included in your employee handbook. In addition to any state-specific policies, your employee handbook for Louisiana should contain the following federal policies.

• Anti-Harassment Policy
• Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy
• Anti-Retaliation Policy
• Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
• Reasonable Accommodation Policy

Handbook Policy Best Practices

In addition to the required federal policies, the following policies are best practices to include in your employee handbook.

• Prohibited Conduct Policy
• Violations Reporting Policy
• Workplace Violence Prevention Policy
• Weapons Policy
• Disciplinary Action Policy
• At-Will Employment
• Federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) Policy