Oilfield and Oilrig Workers—ARE YOU OWED OVERTIME PAY?

The oil and gas business may be booming, but not everyone is sharing in the wealth—especially oilfield, oilrig, and natural gas workers that are working extra-long hours, but not being paid minimum wage and overtime that THEY ARE DUE UNDER THE LAW.

Shortchanging such workers is illegal, it constitutes theft of hard-earned wages, and it should be stopped.

Here’s some of the ways that oil and gas industry employers may be violating the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and other applicable laws:

• Paying non-exempt workers a “salary” (flat rate per week, per pay-period, or per month), when the law requires that such workers be paid hourly rates plus overtime (1½ their normal rate of pay). If you work more than 40 hours per week, you may be entitled to overtime pay regardless of whether your employer labels you a “salaried employee” or not.
• Paying workers a “day rate”—often employers will employ “day laborers” and pay them a “daily rate,” but such workers often work over 40 hours per week and may be entitled to overtime compensation for that work.
• Classifying employees as “independent contractors”—many employers attempt to skirt fair wage laws by treating their employees as independent contractors, which denies employs many of the protections and benefits enjoyed by other workers in fair, law-abiding job environments. A true independent contractor controls the details of his or her work, and is not subject to the direct instruction or supervision concerning those details by employers. Therefore, most workers cannot legally not qualify as true independent contractors, and characterizing them as such is simply a way for employers to deny workers their overtime compensation and other legal protections.
• “Off-the-clock” duties and travel—some employers violate the labor laws and avoid paying overtime by requiring employees to perform “prep” or “finishing” work off the clock—without being paid—or by forcing employees to travel between job sites without compensation. Some employers even alter time sheets to deduct preparatory or finishing work or travel time from an employee’s compensation, often without notice to the employee. Doing so is illegal.

The above applies to roughnecks, righands, roustabouts, mud engineers, tool pushers, welders, crane operators, rig operators, drillers, motormen, linemen, helpers, mechanics, and virtually all other non-exempt laborers working in oil and natural gas fields, oil and natural gas derricks, and on off-shore oil rigs.

Complete the questionnaire on the right, INCLUDING THE NAME OF YOUR EMPLOYER and the APPROXIMATE DATES OF YOUR EMPLOYMENT THERE, along with a general description of your complaint, and one of our friendly staff members will get back with you promptly for a free consultation.

You deserve to be paid for the work you performed!

The laws covering worker pay are complicated, and often employers GET IT WRONG. The U.S. Department of Labor has estimated that 70% of all employers in this country MAY NOT BE PAYING THEIR EMPLOYEES CORRECTLY according to the law.

10,000s of workers already have claims pending against their employers.

NOTE: It is illegal for your employer to retaliate against you for pursuing a valid claim under the Fair Labor Standards Act!