Chevron to Pay Field Operators $1.5 Million in Overtime Back Wages

Three Chevron subsidiaries have agreed to pay $1.5 million in overtime back wages and liquidated damages to 750 workers in San Ramon and Texas, under a voluntary arrangement with the Labor Department.

The company allegedly violated the Fair Labor Standards Act when they failed to fully pay hourly field operators for the hours they worked on an array of tasks, the U.S. Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division determined.

The five refineries found to be in violation are operated by three company subsidiaries: Chevron Products Co. in San Ramon, Chevron Pipeline Co. in Bellaire, Texas, and Chevron North America Exploration and Production Co. in Houston.

WHD Probe Uncovers Owed Overtime Back Wages

The DOL’s Wage and Hour Division found these Chevron sites failed to pay hourly field operators time-and-a-half when mandatory pre-shift meetings caused them to work more than 40 hours per week, the agency announced.

Recordkeeping violations were identified as the main factor leading to the inaccurately tracked number of hours worked.

“Employers need to understand that workers must be paid for all the time they work, including time they must spend in briefings before or after their scheduled shifts,” Susana Blanco, director of the Wage and Hour Division’s San Francisco district office, said in a statement. “Our investigation will result in hundreds of workers receiving checks reflecting the hours they worked, and compensation for time that had been missing from their paychecks in the past.”

“The back wages and damages in this case should send a strong message to employers,” Blanco also said.

The penalty was divided into $750,000 in overtime back wages and $750,000 in damages to the affected workers. That amounts to $2,000 per employee, including the damages.

“Chevron is committed to complying with the Fair Labor Standards Act and fully cooperated with the Department of Labor in its audit,” company spokesman Kent Robertson said in a statement. “We have taken proactive steps with the Department of Labor to resolve this matter for our valued employees.”

Chevron has already paid workers the entirety of the $750,000 in overtime back wages and $750,000 in liquidated damages, Raymond said.

Further, the company committed to crediting employees with at least 15 minutes of paid work for all pre-shift meetings going forward, even if they last less than 15 minutes.

The overtime back wages settlement is part of a broader WHD enforcement approach targeting oil and gas and related industries.

The initiative has led to more than 1,000 concluded cases, recovering about $41.5 million in overtime back wages for some 29,000 oil and gas workers, the division reported.

Should You File an Overtime Lawsuit?

Under the law, when a company is found to be in violations of overtime wage laws, they are generally required to pay the employee double the amount of overtime back wages as a penalty for violating the law.

Not only does filing a wage and hour lawsuit allow you the opportunity to stand up for your rights, it can help you recover valuable overtime back wages that you are owed by law.

Join a Free Wage & Hour Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you were forced to work off the clock or without overtime pay within the past 3 years, you have rights – and you don’t have to take on the company alone.

Get a Free Case Evaluation Now