The Department of Labor announced today that Halliburton has agreed to pay $18.29 million to 1,016 workers in unpaid overtime compensation. The Department of Labor’s investigation revealed that Halliburton paid twenty-eight (28) different types of workers, including field service representatives, pipe recovery specialists and drilling tech advisors, a salary claiming that the workers were exempt from overtime pay. However, simply paying an employee a salary does not necessarily avoid the duty to pay overtime compensation. To be exempt from overtime pay, an employee must be paid a salary of $455 (or more) per week and perform a set of narrowly defined job duties.
If you work more than forty (40) hours per week and are not being paid overtime compensation, you should consult with an attorney to determine if your job duties qualify for exemption. Just like these Halliburton workers, you may be owed past due overtime compensation.
