1.10: Whistleblower Program
- Page ID
- 63119
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To help ensure that workers are free to participate in safety and health activities, Section 11(c) of the OSH Act prohibits any person from discharging or in any manner retaliating against any worker for exercising rights under the OSH Act. These rights include raising safety and health concerns with an employer, reporting a work-related injury or illness, filing a complaint with OSHA, seeking an OSHA inspection, participating in an OSHA inspection and participating or testifying in any proceeding related to an OSHA inspection.
If a worker believes an employer has retaliated against them for exercising their safety and health rights, they should contact their local OSHA office right away. You must file a retaliation complaint with OSHA within 30 calendar days from the date the retaliatory decision has been made both and communicated to the worker. No form is needed, but workers must contact OSHA within 30 days of the alleged retaliation (at 1-800-321-OSHA [6742]). For more information, please visit www.whistleblowers.gov.
Protection from retaliation means that an employer cannot retaliate by taking “adverse action” against workers, such as:
• Firing or laying off;
• Demoting;
• Denying overtime or promotion;
• Disciplining;
• Denying benefits;
• Failing to hire or rehire;
• Intimidation or harassment;
• Making threats;
• Reassignment to a less desirable position or actions affecting prospects for promotion (such as excluding an employee from training meetings);
• Reducing or changing pay or hours;
• More subtle actions, such as isolating, ostracizing, mocking, or falsely accusing the employee of poor performance;
• Blacklisting (intentionally interfering with an employee’s ability to obtain future employment);
• Constructive discharge (quitting when an employer makes working conditions intolerable due to the employee’s protected activity); or
• Reporting or threatening to report an employee to the police or immigration authorities.
The OSH Act protects workers who complain to their employer, OSHA or other government agencies about unsafe or unhealthful working conditions in the workplace or environmental problems. You cannot be transferred, denied a raise, have your hours reduced, be fired, or punished in any other way because you used any right given to you under the OSH Act. Help is available from OSHA for whistleblowers.
OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program enforces the provisions of more than 20 federal laws protecting employees from retaliation for, among other things, raising or reporting concerns about hazards or violations of various workplace safety and health, aviation safety, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, environmental, financial reform, food safety, health insurance reform, motor vehicle safety, nuclear, pipeline, public transportation agency, railroad, maritime, securities, tax, antitrust, and anti-money laundering laws. Employees who believe that they have experienced retaliation in violation of one of these laws may file a complaint with OSHA.