More than 70 Colorado Halliburton oil and gas field workers will receive back overtime pay as part of a $18.3 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor.
According to the labor department, the settlement is one of the largest in recent years. About $1.5 million of the settlement will flow to Colorado workers.
Halliburton was investigated as part of a multi-year compliance initiative in the oil and gas industry in the southwest and northeast.
Investigators found the company violated the Fair Labor Standards Act when it incorrectly categorized 1,016 employees in 28 classifications as exempt from overtime. These people were working as field service representatives, pipe recovery specialists, drilling tech advisors, perforating specialists and reliability tech specialists and did not receive overtime pay when they worked more than 40 hours per week, the labor department said.
According to the labor department, salaried employees are not necessarily exempt from overtime pay.
The Fair Labor Standards Acts allows minimum wage and overtime exceptions for individuals employed in bona fide executive, administrative, professional and outside sales positions, as well as certain computer employees. To qualify for exemption, employees generally must meet certain tests regarding their job duties and be paid on a salary basis at not less than $455 per week. Job titles do not determine exempt status. In order for an exemption to apply, an employee’s specific job duties and salary must meet all the requirements of the department’s regulations.
Founded in 1919, Halliburton is one of the world’s largest providers of products and services to the energy industry. The company has more than 70,000 employees, representing 140 nationalities in more than 80 countries worldwide, the labor department said Tuesday.
