Pay Calculation Key to Overtime for Oil Worker Making $200,000

Helix Energy Solutions Group Inc. faced pushback during oral argument at the US Supreme Court as several justices expressed reluctance to block a former oil rig worker earning more than $200,000 a year from getting overtime pay.

The high court Wednesday parsed the thorny technical nuances of the regulations implementing the Fair Labor Standards Act as they considered Helix’s bid to vacate a federal appeals court ruling that worker Michael Hewitt was entitled to overtime compensation because of the way his pay was calculated.

The court’s ultimate decision could have ripple effects in the energy industry because it uses day ...