Two safety consultants who worked for Ovintiv USA Inc. and Newfield Exploration Company are suing their former employers for overtime pay. These workers claim that they were paid a flat rate per day and were denied overtime pay because of their purported independent contractor status. If you have worked for an oil and gas company as an independent contractor and worked more than 40 hours a week without receiving overtime pay, you may be eligible to bring similar claims against your employer.
What Does the Complaint Allege?
The complaint alleges that employees were contracted as safety consultants and repeatedly worked close to 12 hours daily. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires that employees receive overtime compensation for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week. Despite the requirements of the FLSA, these Colorado-based companies failed to pay such workers the overtime premium they were entitled to receive.
Although the companies classified these safety consultants as independent contractors, these workers functioned more like traditional employees. They were often “on-call” throughout the day and were otherwise treated as employees, except for how they were paid.
Improper classification of workers as independent contractors is a common form of wage theft. Many other companies hire employees as “independent contractors” in order to avoid paying them overtime compensation.
How Do I Join An FLSA Class Action?
If you are an oil and gas worker and believe that you have been a victim of wage theft, please contact We Stop Wage Theft at 844-696-7492 (toll-free) or email us at [email protected]. You can also fill out the form on this page.
We will promptly evaluate your claim and let you know whether you are eligible to participate in a lawsuit for unpaid wages.
Do I Have to Pay Attorney’s Fees?
No. Claims for unpaid wages are typically handled on a contingent fee basis. This means that the lawyers don’t get paid fees unless they obtain a recovery for you.