Common Reasons Why Refrigeration Repairmen Are Not Paid Fair Wages

We understand the time, effort, and training that workers in the skilled trades put into earning their positions. Completing apprenticeships, classwork, and on-the-job training is just a fraction of what it takes to earn a spot among those who help households carry on each day, businesses go about making their profits, and even school systems run smoothly.

Refrigeration repair is no exception. Refrigeration systems can be found everywhere, from the most modest home unit to the upscale, walk-in systems found in upscale restaurants and hotels. All require the same thing: someone to maintain them and make sure they are running efficiently.

That is most likely one of the reasons why the Fair Labor Standards Act includes refrigeration repairmen as one of the types of workers protected under its mandates. Under the FLSA, non-management, "blue-collar" workers are entitled to the federal minimum wage, currently at $7.75 per hour, in addition to overtime pay at one and a half times the normal hourly rate for hours worked over 40.

Unfortunately for some refrigeration repairmen, paychecks are cut short and overtime goes unpaid because the employer decides to cut corners and disobey the FLSA.

In order to raise awareness and help refrigeration repairmen protect their paychecks, the Houston fair wage overtime attorneys at Kennedy Hodges want to share the common reasons why the repairmen are not paid fair wages:

A refrigeration repairman is not paid for the time it takes to travel to the customer's home or business. The repairman's company should be responsible for compensating the employee for the time it takes to get to the job site where the repair needs to be made. Even if the repairman is stuck in traffic, or at a red light, he or she should be paid for their time.

A repairman is not paid for the time he spent at training. Any time a worker must attend mandatory training, the company should be paying the employee his or her regular rate of pay, including the time spent learning about new company protocol, techniques, machines specifications and equipment changes. Even if the training takes place online from the comfort of the employee's home, he or she must still be paid for their time.

A repairman is not paid for the time he must wait for the customer. Even though actual work may not be performed while the repairman waits for the customer, he is still on the job and therefore must still receive compensation. While there may be company rules in place about the exact length of time that a repairman should wait before leaving the job site, it should not affect the FLSA mandate that the worker should be compensated for his or her time.

If you are a refrigeration repairman experiencing any of the above problems, contact the Texas fair overtime attorneys at Kennedy Hodges, LLP for your free copy of the Ten Biggest Mistakes that Can Hurt Your Wage and Overtime Claim by calling 888.449.2068. Or fill out our online form to schedule your free case evaluation where an attorney will sit down with you, review your claim, and provide you with the best solution to protect your paycheck.