The United States Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division’s investigation into three Chevron Corporation subsidiaries revealed violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s overtime provisions. The companies failed to properly track the pay of 750 hourly field operators who worked during mandatory pre-shift relief meetings before turning over their duties to the next shift’s employees. The subsidiaries in question were:
- Chevron Products Company based out of San Ramon, CA
- Chevron Pipeline Company based out of Bellaire, TX
- Chevron North America Exploration and Production Company based out of Houston, TX
The director of the San Francisco Wage and Hour Division’s District Office Susana Blanco commented on the fines:
“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. 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 – violating the law at the expense of your workers can be costly.”
Chevron has agreed to pay over $750,000 in back wages, and an additional $750,000 in damages to the employees in question. Recordkeeping violations were identified as the main factor leading to the inaccurately tracked number of hours worked.
The Wage and Hour Division has conducted over 1,000 investigations into the oil and gas industry leading to the recovery of more than $41.5 million in back wages for nearly 30,000 employees in the past four years alone. At Bailey Cowan Heckaman PLLC, our Houston overtime lawyers continue to fight for and protect employees exploited by their employers. Contact us today by filling out our online form to schedule a free case evaluation, or call us to speak with one of our overtime attorneys today.
Related Posts:
