Oilfield drilling and fracking companies regularly cheat employees out of wages. Employees like Fluid Engineers, Chemical Engineers, Equipment Operators, Service Supervisors, Field Hands, Coil Tube Operators, and Welders regularly work well over 40 hours per week but are not paid overtime compensation.
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, employees are entitled to overtime pay at one-and-a-half times their regular rate of pay for each hour worked over 40 in a workweek. Certain executive, administrative, and professional employees are exempt from this requirement, but the exemptions to the FLSA are narrowly construed to protect employees. If an employee’s primary job duty is rigging up or down, operating equipment, monitoring the drilling or fracking process, or performing manual labor, that employee is not exempt under the FLSA and must be paid overtime compensation. It does not matter whether the employee is paid a salary or bonuses -- nonexempt employees are entitled to overtime compensation when they work more than 40 hours in a workweek.
Holleman & Associates has successfully represented oilfield employees in numerous lawsuits seeking overtime pay. If you have questions or feel that you’ve been cheated out of your proper wages contact us at (855) 825-5916.