HOUSTON — A staffing company for the energy, oil, gas, infrastructure and mining industries is facing a claim they failed to pay workers for overtime.
Mark Townley, individually and for others similarly situated, filed a complaint Sept. 4 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas against Brunel Energy Inc., alleging violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
In his complaint, Townley states he worked for Brunel as an instrument commissioning supervisor from March 2018 through May 2020, with duties that included conducting inspections and performing "quality assurance." He claims he was paid $110 per hour instead of a "guaranteed salary" while working on Brunel's LNG project in Lake Charles, Louisiana and reported his hours to Brunel on a "regular basis."
Townley also claims he "routinely" worked between 50 to 60 hours in one week as shown in the company's payroll records, but was not paid overtime. He alleges Brunel failed to pay him and other hourly employees overtime and "acted with reckless disregard" in complying with the FLSA. He also claims he and the other Brunel employees were "victimized" by the company's alleged illegal pay practices and that Brunel will "reap the unjust benefits" from their alleged violation.
Townley seeks monetary relief, trial by jury, interest and all other appropriate relief. Townley and the class members are represented by Michael Josephson, Andrew Dunlap and Richard Schreiber of Josephson Dunlap LLP in Houston and Richard Burch of Bruckner Burch PLLC in Houston.
Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas case number 4:20-CV-03115