{"id":3419,"date":"2022-04-15T09:35:52","date_gmt":"2022-04-15T13:35:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fslawfirm.com\/blog\/?p=3419"},"modified":"2022-04-15T09:35:57","modified_gmt":"2022-04-15T13:35:57","slug":"transport-drivers-secure-4-9m-settlement-to-resolve-unpaid-ot-claims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fslawfirm.com\/blog\/2022\/04\/transport-drivers-secure-4-9m-settlement-to-resolve-unpaid-ot-claims\/","title":{"rendered":"Transport Drivers Secure\u00a0$4.9M\u00a0Settlement to Resolve Unpaid\u00a0OT\u00a0Claims"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Drivers for\u00a0a Houston area public service transit company\u00a0have\u00a0recently\u00a0resolved\u00a0unpaid wage\u00a0claims<\/a>\u00a0from a\u00a0collective action filed back in 2020.\u00a0The nearly $4.9\u00a0million settlement will\u00a0cover\u00a0claims\u00a0of unpaid\u00a0overtime\u00a0under the Fair Labor Standards Act (\u201cFLSA\u201d).\u00a0The\u00a0original complaint alleged\u00a0drivers were wrongly classified as independent contractors when they should have been considered employees entitled to overtime pay at time and a half their regular hourly rate\u00a0when working over 40 hours per week. More than 260 drivers stand to benefit from the\u00a0$4,875,000\u00a0million settlement\u00a0with each driver receiving\u00a0an average\u00a0of nearly $19,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drivers for the\u00a0Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County were hired to\u00a0complete services under the METROLift program,\u00a0a public transit service for people with disabilities, and consistently worked\u00a0nearly 60 hours per week without any overtime pay. Due to the nature\u00a0of control that the company had over these workers,\u00a0the FLSA can consider them to be employees of the company rather than independent contractors. For example,\u00a0drivers were required to\u00a0adhere to the company\u2019s policy,\u00a0procedures, scheduled routes and hourly rates.\u00a0Company employees also supervised\u00a0the drivers\u2019 daily activities\u00a0and could discipline\u00a0them as well. Additionally, all drivers wore a company\u00a0uniform and drove a\u00a0company\u00a0vehicle with the company\u00a0logo on it.\u00a0In reality, drivers\u00a0had little to no\u00a0control over any\u00a0aspect of their employment with Metro.\u00a0In this regard, drivers should not have been classified as independent contractors\u00a0and instead should have been treated as employees entitled to overtime pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companies often misclassify\u00a0workers as independent contractors in order to\u00a0save\u00a0on labor\u00a0costs. While employees are entitled to protections,\u00a0such as minimum wage and overtime pay,independent contractors\u00a0lack\u00a0these\u00a0benefits.\u00a0If you\u2019re not sure if you\u2019ve been\u00a0classified correctly\u00a0under the FLSA, give our employment law firm, Fitapelli & Schaffer, LLP,\u00a0a call for a free and confidential consultation at (212)300-0375.\u00a0You can also visit our website<\/a> for\u00a0additional helpful information regarding your rights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\nDrivers for\u00a0a Houston area public service transit company\u00a0have\u00a0recently\u00a0resolved\u00a0unpaid wage\u00a0claims\u00a0from a\u00a0collective action filed back in 2020.\u00a0The nearly $4.9\u00a0million settlement will\u00a0cover\u00a0claims\u00a0of unpaid\u00a0overtime\u00a0under the Fair Labor Standards Act (\u201cFLSA\u201d).\u00a0The\u00a0original complaint alleged\u00a0drivers were wrongly classified as independent contractors when they should have been considered employees entitled to overtime pay at time and a half their regular hourly rate\u00a0when working over 40 hours per week. More than 260 drivers stand to benefit from the\u00a0$4,875,000\u00a0million settlement\u00a0with each driver receiving\u00a0an average\u00a0of nearly $19,000.<\/p>\n

\n
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