July 2023 by Apollo Turner
I joined Mill-Tel Inc. on 11/4/2021, initially under the impression that I would be a full-time employee with benefits, based on the job ad I responded to on Indeed. However, upon commencing work, I was informed that I was classified as an independent contractor. Despite this classification, Mill-Tel Inc. exerts complete control over my work, including assigning work orders five days a week with required overtime and additional workdays as needed. As a Field Service Technician for Cox Communications, I have no autonomy in determining which work orders to perform, when to perform them, the work schedule, the locations to visit, the work methods, or the tools and resources to utilize.Despite expressing concerns to my area manager and direct leadership about my employment classification and entitlement to overtime pay, they have consistently denied my employee status while simultaneously exerting full control over every aspect of my work. This misclassification and denial of employment rights have led to significant financial losses, particularly in terms of unpaid overtime wages.I have repeatedly raised these concerns within the company, including during meetings with management, but they have chosen to retaliate against me rather than address the issue. This unjust retaliation culminated in my termination on 6/22/2023, following a simple inquiry made during our bi-weekly employee meeting regarding the possibility of misclassification.It is evident that Mill-Tel Inc. knowingly misclassifies its workers to avoid fulfilling legal obligations, such as paying overtime wages, providing unemployment insurance, and offering other benefits as mandated by federal and state laws. This unethical behavior extends beyond my personal experience, as the company has been engaging in similar mistreatment and labor law violations towards numerous individuals in the state of Oklahoma over the past five years.To rectify this situation, I am actively seeking assistance in reclaiming the hundreds of hours of unpaid overtime and unaccounted-for time I am owed from the past two years. Moreover, I am prepared to take the necessary steps to report Mill-Tel Inc.'s flagrant violation of workplace laws to the appropriate authorities.
