House Bill No. 529 aims to amend the definition of "wages" within the context of workers' compensation in Louisiana and to establish a new method for determining the average weekly wage. The bill redefines "wages" to mean the average weekly wage at the time of the accident, calculated by dividing the employee's total earnings by the total number of weeks employed prior to the accident, excluding the week of the accident and limited to the 52 weeks immediately preceding it. The bill also specifies that total earnings include various forms of compensation, such as full-time, part-time, and seasonal employment, as well as paid sick leave, vacation, tips, and bonuses, while excluding unpaid benefits.

Additionally, the bill repeals the previous definition of "part-time employee" and eliminates outdated provisions related to the calculation of wages based on hourly, monthly, and annual earnings. It establishes that if an employee has not worked at least one full week before the accident, the average weekly wage will be the amount agreed upon by the employer and employee at the time of employment. The bill places the burden of proof on the employee to document any concurrent employment and earnings. Overall, this legislation seeks to clarify and streamline the process for determining average weekly wages for workers' compensation claims.

Statutes affected:
HB529 Original: 23:1021(13), 23:1021(11)
HB529 Engrossed: 23:1021(13), 23:1021(11)
HB529 Reengrossed: 23:1021(13), 23:1021(11)