It may not be well known, but OSHA oversees whistleblower protection investigations not only for its own jurisdiction but for 12 other regulatory areas.
Employees reporting violations of federal law (e.g., an OSHA complaint) are protected from retaliation by employers. An innocent personnel action taken by the employer might be seen as whistleblower retaliation by OSHA.
Employer actions that may be considered retaliatory include but are not limited to the following:
- Firing or laying off
- Assigning to undesirable shifts
- Blacklisting
- Demoting
- Denying overtime or promotion
- Disciplining
- Denial of benefits
- Failure to hire or rehire
- Intimidation
- Transferring
- Reassigning work
- Reducing pay or hours