Offshore employee files class action claiming he was not paid for attending safety meetings

NEW ORLEANS - An offshore employee has filed a class action lawsuit claiming he was required to work off the clock and not paid for attending safety meetings.

Johnny C. Charrier Jr., individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, filed suit against Divcon on Nov. 12 in federal court in New Orleans.

Proposed class members are current and former hourly offshore employees of Divcon, according to the complaint.

Charrier claims that the employees were required to work “off the clock” and were not paid overtime for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours. Specifically, Charrier claims that the employees were not paid for mandatory daily safety meetings prior to the start of their 12-hour shifts, man to man shift relief, and travel time mobilizing and demobilizing prior to and following each shift. Instead, the employees were paid for a limited amount of scheduled work time, not for the actual hours that they worked, the lawsuit states.

The defendant is accused of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act for failing to pay Charrier and others for failing to pay overtime compensation.

The plaintiff is seeking an award of damages for unpaid back wages, liquidated damages, attorney’s fees, interest, and court costs.

Charrier is represented by Philip Bohrer of Bohrer Law Firm, P.C. in Baton Rouge. A jury trial is requested.

U.S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt is assigned to the case.

Case No. 2:13-cv-06392