Wage and Hour
By Dan Davis, August 19, 2026 Almost every Louisiana worker has done it. You clock out and then finish closing. You answer your supervisor’s texts from the couch. You stay late to wrap up a job because leaving it half-done makes tomorrow worse. Nobody told you to record that time. The answer is yes — that time is generally supposed…Read More
By Dan Davis, August 14, 2026If you work irregular, unpredictable hours — long weeks, short weeks, whatever the job demands — but your paycheck is the same fixed amount every week, your employer may be using something called a "Belo plan." Belo plans are common in Louisiana's oilfield and field-service industries, and among on-call technicians, adjusters, and other workers whose…Read More
By Dan Davis, July 29, 2026 If you drive to job sites for work, start your day with calls from home, or split your time between home and an office, you may wonder whether the hours you spend traveling are supposed to be on the clock. On July 22, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor weighed in with two new…Read More
By Dan Davis, July 22, 2026 Plenty of Louisiana workers eat lunch at their desk, answer the phone during a “break,” or get called back to the floor before their thirty minutes are up — and never stop to ask whether that time should be paid. Federal law has clear rules about when a meal break can go unpaid, and…Read More
By Dan Davis, July 22, 2026 Plenty of Louisiana workers eat lunch at their desk, answer the phone during a “break,” or get called back to the floor before their thirty minutes are up — and never stop to ask whether that time should be paid. Federal law has clear rules about when a meal break can go unpaid, and…Read More
By Dan Davis, July 8, 2026 If you show up early to get your station ready, boot up a computer, put on required gear, or take a handoff from the last shift — and none of that time shows up on your paycheck — you may be working for free. Federal wage law says that in many cases you shouldn’t…Read More
By Dan Davis, July 15, 2026Most people assume overtime is simple: work more than 40 hours in a week, get paid one-and-a-half times your hourly rate. But there is a wrinkle that costs Louisiana workers real money without their ever noticing. If you earn certain kinds of bonuses, federal law may require your employer to raise your overtime rate to…Read More
By Dan Davis, 3/6/2026 If you're paid an hourly wage plus bonuses — for safety, attendance, production, or hitting performance targets — there's a good chance your overtime is being calculated wrong, and in your employer's favor. A recent ruling from the U.S. Department of Labor is a useful reminder of a rule that trips up a lot of employers:…Read More