Oil & Gas Overtime Lawyer
We are Leaders in the Oil & Gas Industry Overtime Claims
At Bustos Law Firm, P.C., our oil & gas overtime attorney is committed to protecting the legal rights and financial interests of workers. Oil and gas are important industries in West Texas and New Mexico. Workers are the backbone of the industry. They deserve to be paid properly. Were you denied the overtime pay you earned in the oil and gas industry? We are ready to help. Contact us today for a free, fully confidential consultation with a Texas and New Mexico oil and gas overtime attorney.
Call 806-696-8285 to connect for a free consultation with an Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer today!
Overtime Violations are far Too Common in the Oil and Gas Industry
Texas and New Mexico are the top states for oil production nationwide. The Permian Basin stretches from West Texas into New Mexico. That basin holds some of the most productive shale formations in the world, especially the Wolfcamp Formation and Bone Spring Formation. The oil and gas industry is very important for the economy of this region. The geology matters, but it is workers who are the true backbone of the industry.
Unfortunately, overtime violations are far too common in oil and gas. Oil and gas operations routinely involve extended shifts and high-demand schedules that push employees well beyond forty hours in a workweek. Too many companies pay day rates or salaries without adding the required overtime premium. Field workers, rig hands, and technicians may also perform off-the-clock tasks before and after shifts that are not counted properly. Workers who are non-exempt under the FLSA and who put in overtime hours must be properly paid overtime wages.
Note: Our Texas overtime lawyer and our New Mexico overtime lawyer have the knowledge and experience that oil and gas workers can rely on. We help people get compensation for unpaid overtime.
Call 806-696-8285 to connect for a free consultation with an Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer today!
A Guide to Overtime Law for Oil and Gas Workers in Texas and New Mexico
It is federal law that generally matters in overtime cases. Texas does not have an independent overtime statute. New Mexico does, but it mirrors federal law. The key statute to be aware of is the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Here are the most important things that oil and gas workers in Texas and New Mexico need to know about their rights under the FLSA:
- Overtime Pay Starts at 40 Hours for a Non-Exempt Employee: The FLSA requires employers to pay one and one-half times the regular rate for all hours worked over forty in a defined workweek. Each workweek stands alone, and employers cannot average hours across multiple weeks to reduce or eliminate overtime liability. For example, if an oilfield worker in New Mexico logs thirty hours one week and fifty hours the next, he or she must receive overtime for the ten hours over forty in the second week.
- All Hours Worked Must Be Counted and Paid: Federal law requires payment for all time an employer suffers or permits an employee to work, including pre-shift, post-shift, and waiting time under certain conditions. Employers cannot avoid liability by failing to record time or by instructing workers not to report extra hours if the work still occurs. For example, if a rig worker in West Texas performs safety checks before the official shift, that is still compensable time. The employer must include those hours when calculating total weekly hours and overtime.
- Day Rates Do Not Eliminate Overtime Obligations: The FLSA requires employers to convert a day rate or flat rate into a regular rate of pay and then apply a one and one-half overtime premium for hours worked over forty in a workweek. Employers cannot treat a day rate as covering all hours, and courts reject pay schemes that fail to add the required premium. Indeed, an oil and gas industry worker who is paid $500 per day and who works six days totaling seventy-two hours must receive additional overtime compensation.
Call 806-696-8285 to connect for a free consultation with an Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer today!
How Our Oil & Gas Overtime Attorney Can Help
Were your overtime rights violated while working in oil and gas? At Bustos Law Firm, P.C., our overtime lawyer team is standing by, ready to help you get justice and compensation. We encourage you to check out our reviews and ratings and to reach out to us directly with any specific questions or concerns. It is our mission to help workers get justice. If you put in overtime hours, you should receive overtime pay. Contact an overtime wage and hour lawyer today for help with a case.
Contact Our Oil & Gas Unpaid Overtime Attorney Can Help
At Bustos Law Firm, P.C., our oil and gas overtime lawyer puts employees first. If you were denied proper overtime pay while working in oil and gas, we can help. Call us at 806-696-8285 or contact us online to set your free, no obligation case review. Our firm handles overtime cases for workers in the oil and gas industry in Texas and New Mexico.
Frequently Asked Questions for an Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer
Q. What is an Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer, and how can a Texas Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer help me?
A. An Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer specializes in representing workers in the oil and gas industry who have been denied proper overtime pay for long hours worked in demanding field operations. A Texas Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer from Bustos Law Firm, P.C. reviews day rates, salaries, time records, and job duties of rig hands, field technicians, and other non-exempt employees to recover unpaid overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in the Permian Basin and across Texas.
Q. Are oil and gas workers entitled to overtime pay according to an Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer in Texas?
A. Yes, non-exempt oil and gas workers are entitled to overtime at one and one-half times their regular rate for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek under the FLSA. An Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer Texas from Bustos Law Firm, P.C. helps field workers, rig hands, and technicians in West Texas recover compensation when employers use day rates or salaries without adding the required overtime premium.
Q. How does a Texas Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer handle day rate pay in the oil and gas industry?
A. Day rates do not eliminate overtime obligations under the FLSA. A Texas Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer from Bustos Law Firm, P.C. converts the day rate into a regular hourly rate and calculates the additional half-time premium owed for every hour over 40 in a workweek. This common pay practice in oilfield operations often results in significant unpaid overtime that our firm recovers for workers.
Q. What counts as compensable hours worked for oil and gas employees according to an Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer?
A. All time an employer suffers or permits an employee to work must be paid, including pre-shift safety checks, post-shift tasks, waiting time, and off-the-clock work. An Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer from Bustos Law Firm, P.C. ensures these hours are properly counted when building strong claims for rig workers and field personnel in Texas and New Mexico who frequently exceed 40 hours per week.
Q. Can employers average hours across weeks to avoid overtime in the oil and gas industry, per a New Mexico Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer?
A. No, each workweek stands alone under the FLSA and New Mexico law. Employers cannot average hours from light weeks with heavy weeks to reduce or eliminate overtime liability. A New Mexico Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer from Bustos Law Firm, P.C., fights these practices that are common in oilfield scheduling and recovers the full overtime premium for every qualifying week.
Q. Does Texas have its own overtime law for oil and gas workers, according to a Texas Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer?
A. Texas does not have an independent overtime statute and relies on the federal FLSA for overtime rules in the oil and gas industry. A Texas Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer from Bustos Law Firm, P.C. applies these federal standards to help workers in the Permian Basin recover unpaid wages when employers violate requirements for hours worked over 40 per workweek.
Q. How does New Mexico law apply to overtime for oil and gas workers, according to an Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer in New Mexico?
A. The New Mexico Minimum Wage Act requires payment of one and one-half times the regular rate for all hours over 40 in a workweek, mirroring the FLSA. An Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer New Mexico from Bustos Law Firm, P.C. enforces both federal and state protections to secure unpaid overtime for workers operating in the New Mexico portion of the Permian Basin.
Q. Can salaried oil and gas workers still claim overtime with help from an Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer?
A. Yes, many salaried oil and gas workers are non-exempt and entitled to overtime if they do not meet the strict FLSA salary basis and duties tests for exemptions. An Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer from Bustos Law Firm, P.C. analyzes actual job responsibilities to challenge misclassification and recover overtime pay for technicians, operators, and other personnel in Texas and New Mexico.
Q. What are common overtime violations in the oil and gas industry handled by a Texas Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer?
A. Common violations include failure to pay the overtime premium on day rates, not counting pre- and post-shift work, inaccurate timekeeping, and misclassifying workers as exempt. A Texas Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer from Bustos Law Firm, P.C. investigates these frequent issues in high-demand oilfield operations and pursues full recovery of unpaid wages plus additional damages under the FLSA.
Q. Why should I hire Bustos Law Firm, P.C. as my Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer in Texas and New Mexico?
A. Bustos Law Firm, P.C. provides experienced, dedicated representation focused on unpaid overtime claims for oil and gas workers across the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico. As your Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer, the firm offers free, confidential consultations and aggressive advocacy under the FLSA and state law to help you recover the overtime compensation you earned while working extended shifts in this demanding industry.
Contact Our Texas Unpaid Overtime Attorney Today
Call 806-696-8285 to connect for a free consultation with an Oil and Gas Overtime Lawyer today!