DENVER, CO — A Canadian oil and gas company recently agreed to a multimillion dollar settlement with dozens of former fracking workers to resolve claims the defendant improperly classified employees as overtime exempt, paying the individuals a flat salary and no overtime wages. The $1.8 million settlement will compensate an about 30 former workers employed by the defendant, Ensign Energy Services, over the three-year period covered by the unpaid overtime collective action lawsuit.
According to the unpaid overtime lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, the plaintiffs worked in the oil fields of northeastern Colorado as part of Ensign’s United States Drilling Inc. operations. The workers were involved in measuring drilling depths while fracking for oil and natural gas and were only paid a flat salary, no matter how many overtime hours any of the 60 estimated workers on the project put into the week.
Many of the plaintiffs who worked as operators on Ensign’s oil and gas projects put in as many as 12 hours per day on the job, with at least one plaintiff claiming to have regularly worked an average of 84 hours per week. Payouts for the plaintiffs ranged from $3748.40 to $73,037.73 with one lead plaintiff recovering $88,894.49 and another just under $100,000. The settlement also covers all of the plaintiff’s costs to litigate the matter and recover their back pay and finally be compensated for all their hard work to the company.
While the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which covers labor and wage laws for workers across the country, does allow employers to classify certain employees as overtime exempt and pay these individuals a flat weekly salary, these same workers must perform certain duties. Often times, unscrupulous business classify workers as “managers” or “independent contractors” to avoid overtime pay laws but do not ask or expect these employees to perform tasks consistent with what the law expects.
Oil Worker Unpaid Overtime Lawsuit
Call (855) 754-2795 or complete the Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review form on the top right of this page if you believe that your wage rights are being violated under the FLSA. Our top-rated team of unpaid wage lawyers will evaluate your situation to determine your best course of action to help you seek justice.
Our office will also determine if it is in your best interest to file a lawsuit against your employer. Because strict time limitations apply for filing these types of claims, we advise you contact our experienced unpaid overtime wage attorneys at your earliest convenience and preserve your legal rights.