While oil prices remain low and countless oil workers are out of a job, many of them are claiming that they were not paid fairly, even when oil prices were higher. Some workers are receiving notice that their employers may not have paid them for overtime they worked and encouraging class action lawsuits. These class action lawsuits began to jump as the oil prices started dropping. In Texas, the number of lawsuits is 10 times higher than the national average.
Federal records show that companies in the oil and gas industry are amongst the most common and frequent wage law violators. This is especially true when it comes to paying overtime. In 2012, the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor found sufficient problems and possible violations; enough to warrant nationwide investigations.
Since they began their investigation, the Wage and Hour Division has recovered roughly $40 million in unpaid wages. The number of investigations has risen to about 1,000 throughout multiple industries, but oil companies appear to be one of the most affected by these types of problems.
If you worked in any industry and you believe you were paid incorrectly or did not receive wages for overtime, allow a skilled legal professional to help you investigate the matter. Your employer may have withheld wages that you rightfully earned.
At Bailey Cowan Heckaman PLLC, our wage and hour dispute attorneys work to protect the rights of employees who may not have received wages owed to them by law. The Fair Labor Standards Act gives employees certain rights and our firm believes that they should be upheld at all times. If you believe you have a case, contact our firm and discuss the details of your matter with us. We are ready to help you.