Drilling Fluid Engineer Claims Rice Energy Misclassifies Workers, Refuses to Pay OT Wages

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Rice Energy, Inc. is facing a proposed class and collective action filed by a former drilling fluid engineer who claims the company misclassified him as an independent contractor and failed to pay him overtime wages. The plaintiff says he worked in the oil fields for over 40 hours a week and was paid at a fixed daily rate. The suit argues that he should have been paid time-and-a-half overtime wages for the hours he worked above 40 each week instead of being classified as an exempt contractor. According to the suit, Rice Energy “controlled all the significant or meaningful aspects of the job duties performed by Plaintiff,” including his work schedule, the tools he used, his rate of pay, and his ability to work for other companies while employed by Rice Energy. In consequence, the suit says, Rice Energy should have classified him as an employee and paid him proper wages.