Oil, Gas and Mining Industry Pay Regulations

colorado mountainsAs companies look to profit in the competitive oil, gas and mining industries, they often cut corners on employee wages.  As a result, thousands of workers in these industries have had and are having their wages stolen by their employer.  The top wage violations in the oil, gas and mining industries are:

  • Failing to pay workers overtime for all hours worked in excess of 12 per day or 40 per week. Even salaried workers usually are entitled to this overtime pay.
  • Treating workers as independent contractors to avoid the cost of overtime pay, insurance and payroll taxes. Very few workers in this industry truly qualify as independent contractors.
  • Paying per diem instead of wages to avoid overtime pay.
  • “Shaving” or under-reporting worked hours to avoid paying for those hours.
  • Not paying workers for certain tasks performed before, during or after their regular shift such as driving to the site (or between sites), employee meetings, putting on, taking off, cleaning or maintaining equipment or gear and paperwork. Often employers illegally claim that this work is “off the clock”.
  • Paying a flat daily or job rate without consideration of the number of hours worked and the requirement to pay overtime.
  • Failing to provide meal and rest breaks.

Among the job types potentially affected by these illegal practices are: Pipeline Inspectors, Top Drive Technicians, Top Drive Mechanics, Closed Loop Operators, Service Supervisors, Pumpers and Lease Operators, Field Coordinators, MWD/LWD Engineers or Operators, Field Specialists, Field Engineers, Field Operators, Tool Pushers, Mud Loggers/Solids Control, Tankermen, Wireline/Slickline Operators. Directional Driller, Field Engineers, Fluid Technicians, Mud Logging Technicians, Mud Engineers, Surveyors, Drillers, Roughnecks, Motormen, Swampers, Rig Managers, Operators, Crane Operators, Linemen, Welders, Pumpers, Pipeline Inspectors, Top Drive Technicians, Mechanics, Camp Managers, MWD Drillers, LWD Drillers, Directional Drillers, Crane Operators, Grease Operators, Solids Operators, Coil Tubing Operators, Sand Coordinators, and Flow Testers.

If your employer is violating the oil, gas and mining overtime pay laws, you (and other employees) may be entitled to thousands of dollars of back pay. Please contact us for a free and confidential case evaluation or simply to learn more about oil, gas and mining workers and the overtime pay laws.