Praxair Employment Practices Raise Questions Among Truck Drivers

California truck drivers who were covered by Praxair employment policies might have had their rights violated.

Praxair is a company that hires drivers to deliver industrial gases to businesses throughout the United States. The products in the tankers are so dangerous, Praxair employment policy dictates that truck drivers must remain with the trucks at all times.

Gases transported by Praxair include helium, argon, hydrogen, nitrogen, dry ice, neon, oxygen, carbon dioxide and other specialty products used in industrial settings.

Even though the materials are hazardous, Praxair is not excluded from California labor laws, which require drivers to receive a proper meal period and rest breaks.

Praxair Employment Policies in Question

Federal labor laws protect all workers  in the U.S., but California’s labor laws offer even further protections for workers. The law generally requires a 30-minute meal period if an employee works more than five hours, and that meal period must begin before the end of the fifth hour of work.

Any employee who works more than 10 hours has earned a second 30-minute meal period. In addition, a 10-minute break is earned with every four hours worked.

Praxair employment of truck drivers does not appear to allow a meal period that ensures the driver can go off-premises for 30 minutes. A meal break is supposed to be a time away from the work area because it is off-the-clock time.

If the employee is required to stay on the work site and is not relieved of all work-related duties, then the employee must be paid for that time. Any time the employee is “minding the store” through a meal period is not a real break.

Truck drivers who were previously under Praxair employment have said they had to work straight through all of their rest and meal breaks, were never provided with true meal or rest periods, and were not compensated for the missed meal or rest breaks.

An investigation into Praxair employment practices and whether the company has violated California labor laws continues.

According to the company’s website, Praxair is a Fortune 300 company that has more than 26,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Job openings listed for California truck drivers do not include any instructions on negotiations needed to be paid for denied rest breaks or meal periods. The company’s motto is “Making our planet more productive,” but that productivity must not come at the expense of its workers’ rights.

If you work or have worked at Praxair as a driver and were denied rest and meal periods, you could have had your rights violated. You might qualify for a Praxair employment lawsuit, either on your own or through representation in a class action case.

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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