Weatherford International Involved in Overtime Pay Lawsuit

A new overtime pay lawsuit was recently filed in Texas federal court against Weatherford International.

According to the wage and hour lawsuit, the oil company misclassified its oil well monitors as as exempt from overtime pay. Misclassifying workers as exempt from overtime pay is a violation of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

The wage and hour lawsuit was brought by Weatherford International employee, Plaintiff Kurt Crowder.

Crowder is bringing the lawsuit against his employer on behalf of himself and other Weatherford International field service technicians who were misclassified as exempt and are allegedly owed unpaid overtime.

The lawsuit involves all former and current field service technicians who worked for the company over the last three years.

Crowder worked for Weatherford International for the last five years. He worked for the company in several states including Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.

As a field service tech Crowder was responsible for monitoring well sites during fracking, filling, packing and plugging drill sites during the completion of drilling holes.

In the lawsuit, Crowder states that the duties of his job as the field service tech did not qualify under the overtime exemption rules stated in the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

Crowder notes in the wage and hour lawsuit, that his position does not require him to supervise employees, he has no managerial duties, and he cannot hire or fire anyone within the company.

These are tasks and jobs that would exempt Crowder from overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The field services technicians work 12 to 24 hour shifts at an oil rig site and often work five to seven days a week. Field service technicians like Crowder often work at a site every day until the whole project is complete.

Pay for workers like Crowder is set on a base wage and a daily field pay regardless of the number of hours an employee works.

In the wage and hour lawsuit, Crowder is asking for damages that would include unpaid overtime, attorneys’ fees and other court costs.

Unpaid Overtime Pay Class Action Lawsuits

Crowder’s lawsuit is awaiting class certification. Class action lawsuits are brought when the cost of a bringing a lawsuit individually would be overwhelming to a single plaintiff. Class action lawsuits help to spread the cost of litigation among all the members.

In order for a class action lawsuit to be certified the court must decide that the class meets specific requirements:

• The class must be numerous
• The class must share common questions of fact and law
• The class representative must be a typical member of the class
• The class representative must adequately protect the interests of the class

Overtime pay lawsuits can help employees who have been misclassified recover their unpaid overtime wages.

Companies that violate wage and hour laws are held accountable to their employees through these lawsuits. Employees who believe that their employers have violated the Fair Labor Standards act should talk to a wage and hour attorney.

The Weatherford Overtime Pay Class Action Lawsuit is Crowder v. Weatherford International LLC, Case No. 4:16-cv-01356, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

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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.

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