Praxair Employee Benefits for Drivers May Not Include Rest and Meal Breaks

Praxair drivers have accused their employer of not providing the meal and rest breaks that employees are legally entitled to. This alleged violation of Praxair employee benefits has also reportedly violated state and federal law.

Praxair is a worldwide company that employees 26,000 employees around the world. With locations in over 50 countries, Praxair transports different industrial chemicals and industrial gasses to businesses who need them. Many products they transport are hazardous.

According to Praxair’s website, Praxair’s employees “are working together towards a common goal: making our planet more productive.” They claim to have “taken something as fundamental as air and turned it into ways to make plants operate cleaner and more productively, food taste better, breathing easier and manufacturing processes more efficient–in short, to make all our lives better.”

They also claim that they are committed to improving the “environmental performance” of their customers by “developing and implementing applications that help customers reduce operating costs, increase process efficiencies and improve their environmental performance, while minimizing our own environmental resource intensity and maximizing our social and environmental contributions.”

Praxair, by nature of what they do, must transport and deliver chemicals and gasses that may be hazardous or dangerous. Because of this, they require their drivers to remain with their vehicles at all times.

Many employees of Praxair have accused the company of not providing proper Praxair employee benefits such as rest and meal breaks. These rest and meal breaks are required by the labor laws in California.

Praxair says that they are committed to the safety and wellbeing of their drivers. In fact, they claim that safety is their first priority. They also claim that they are a stable company that is good to work for and that they offer comprehensive health, wellness, retirement and time-off Praxair employee benefits for their drivers.

However, because drivers are required to stay with their trucks at all time while working, many believe they’re being cheated out of proper Praxair employee benefits that should include proper rest and meal breaks in California.

Rules for Meal Breaks in California

Calfornia labor law states that non-exempt, hourly, employees must receive proper rest and meal breaks in California. Drivers must receive a 30 minute meal break for every five hours worked which must begin before the fifth hour of their shift.

They also must receive a ten minute rest break for every four hours worked which includes a rest break for every 3.5 hours worked and another one if six hours are worked by the employee.

Additionally, employees are supposed to be able to take their meal break off the premises of their job or do with that time what the employee wishes. It is time spent “off-the-clock.”

If a driver must still complete some duties during a rest or a meal break, that driver is not considered off-the-clock and a proper rest break has not been given. California labor law states that if an employee does not receive a meal break, they must be compensated monetarily for one hour of work.

If you work for Praxair as a driver and you suspect your Praxair employee benefits have not properly been given or if you have not received proper rest and meal breaks in California, you may benefit from speaking to an attorney.

Join a Free Praxair Driver Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you work or have worked as a truck driver for Praxair and you were denied meal and/or rest breaks during your shifts, you may qualify to file a Praxair wage and hour lawsuit or class action lawsuit.

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