Hurricane Cleanup Workers Defeat Dismissal Bid in Overtime Suit

Two laborers hired as part of disaster relief efforts after Hurricane Laura may pursue their wage-and-hour suit after a federal judge in Louisiana rejected Belfor USA Group Inc.'s bid to toss their claims.

The disaster recovery company argued that the workers—hired by subcontractor Southern Response Services Inc.—weren’t its employees. But the complaint sufficiently alleged that both Belfor and Southern Response controlled worker performance and exercised authority over essential employment terms, the US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana said.

David Flores Jr. and Matthew Sirmon signed on to perform cleanup work after Hurricane Laura hit the area ...