If your only staff are part-time or seasonal, you still need workers compensation in Louisiana. The state counts part-time, full-time, temporary, and seasonal workers the same way, so a single part-time hire triggers the requirement from that worker's first day. There is no minimum number of hours, no payroll threshold, and no waiting period. A holiday cashier working ten hours a week counts exactly like a full-time employee.
Who this is for: Louisiana owners whose workforce is part-time, seasonal, or temporary, such as retail, hospitality, tourism, and event businesses that staff up and down through the year.
The short version
- Part-time and seasonal workers count as employees from the first hire.
- There is no minimum hours or payroll amount that keeps you out of the mandate.
- Temporary and short-season workers count just like year-round staff.
- Your premium is based on payroll, so a small part-time crew costs less to cover, not nothing.
- Dropping and re-adding coverage each season usually costs more than keeping a policy in force.
How Louisiana counts part-time and seasonal staff
Louisiana's guidance is explicit that the mandate applies to part-time, full-time, temporary, and seasonal workers. Hours do not create an exemption. What actually drives your cost is payroll, so a lightly staffed part-time business pays less because the premium scales with what you pay out, but the requirement to carry a policy is the same as any employer's.
| Your staffing | Comp required? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One part-time employee | Yes | One worker triggers the mandate, whatever the hours |
| Seasonal crew a few months a year | Yes | Seasonal workers count as employees |
| Temporary holiday help | Yes | Temporary workers count too |
| Only owners, no other workers | Often no | Owners are covered by default and can elect out |
What it costs for a small part-time crew
Because comp premium is calculated on payroll, a business with a few part-time workers pays far less than one with a full-time crew doing the same work. The insurer applies a rate to every hundred dollars of payroll in each job category, so lower payroll means a lower premium. That is why a part-time cashier costs little to cover while still keeping you compliant. It is rarely worth going without over cost.
Seasonal on and off
Businesses that only run part of the year sometimes try to cancel and rebuy coverage each season. That often backfires, because a gap leaves you exposed the moment anyone works, and re-underwriting each year can cost more than a continuous policy that is audited on actual payroll. A better fit for many seasonal employers is a policy that stays in force and settles up at year-end on what you actually paid out, so the light months cost little.
A Kenner example
Illustrative, not a quote. A Kenner gift shop runs with the owner and two part-time cashiers most of the year, then adds three seasonal workers for the holidays. Every one of those part-time and seasonal workers counts, so the shop carries a policy year-round and its premium rises and falls with payroll at the annual audit. The owner is covered by default and stays on the policy. Keeping continuous coverage means the holiday hires are protected from their first shift. See our workers comp for retail stores page.
Real questions Louisiana owners ask
Do I need workers comp if all my staff are part-time in Louisiana?
Yes. Louisiana counts part-time workers as employees, so a single part-time hire triggers the requirement from day one. There is no minimum number of hours that keeps you out of the mandate.
Do seasonal workers count in Louisiana?
Yes. Seasonal and temporary workers count as employees the same as year-round staff. A crew that works only a few months a year still has to be covered while they are working.
Is there a minimum number of hours before I need coverage?
No. Louisiana does not set an hours floor. A worker who puts in a few hours a week counts the same as a full-time employee, so the requirement turns on having any worker, not on how much they work.
How much does it cost to cover a couple of part-timers?
Less than covering full-timers doing the same work, because premium is based on payroll. The insurer applies a rate to your payroll in each job category, so a small part-time payroll means a small premium.
Should I cancel my policy in the off-season?
Usually not. A gap leaves you exposed the moment anyone works, and rebuying each year can cost more than a continuous policy audited on actual payroll, which already charges you little during your light months.
Do I have to cover myself if I only have part-time staff?
Your staff must be covered regardless. You as the owner are covered by default and can elect out if you qualify, but that choice is separate from the duty to cover your part-time employees.
What if I only have one seasonal worker for a few weeks?
You still need coverage for those weeks. One seasonal worker is enough to trigger the requirement, so the policy needs to be in force before that person starts, even for a short season.
Why Louisiana owners choose Morrow
- We shop the right market for you. In Louisiana you buy workers comp on the open, competitive market from any private insurer licensed in the state or from the state-created mutual fund, the Louisiana Workers' Compensation Corporation, which also serves as the guaranteed market that cannot turn you down, so we can shop your rate freely and still have a fallback for hard-to-place work.
- We catch pricing mistakes. Your price depends heavily on the category your work falls into for pricing (the class code). Put people in the wrong category and you overpay for years. We review your payroll and classifications before you buy.
- Proof of coverage, fast. Need a certificate (proof of coverage) for a general contractor or a landlord before Monday? We turn those around the same business day for most carriers.
- We help lower the score that drives your price. Insurers give you a score based on your past claims that raises or lowers your cost (the experience modification rate). We review it each year, flag errors, and connect you with return-to-work and safety resources that bring it down.
- Real people when a claim happens. When someone gets hurt, we stay involved through the life of the claim, not just at renewal.
Related Louisiana guides
Every Louisiana business is set up a little differently. These companion guides answer the same question for other situations, plus the national explainers behind the terms used here.
- Business insurance in Louisiana (start here)
- Workers comp: the owner's overview
- I own an LLC: do I need workers comp?
- I'm a sole proprietor: do I need workers comp?
- I own a corporation (C-corp or S-corp): do I need it?
- We're a partnership: do we need workers comp?
- We're a nonprofit: do we need workers comp?
- My workers are 1099: do I still need it?
- I only employ family: do I need workers comp?
- Remote or out-of-state staff: do I need coverage?
- What happens if I don't carry workers comp?
- How much does workers comp cost?
- How do I get workers comp (even if turned down)?
- What insurance do I need for a contractor license?
- Workers compensation insurance, explained
- What workers comp costs (national guide)
- Hiring your first employee: what changes
- What workers comp does not cover
- Louisiana retail workers comp
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Louisiana rules and penalty amounts can change, so verify current requirements with the Louisiana Workforce Commission's Office of Workers' Compensation Administration or a licensed advisor before you rely on them. Last updated: July 2026.