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Whistle-blower Complaints Can Now Be Filed Online
On December 5, 2013, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced that employees can now file complaints against their employers online. Previously, a worker had the choice of submitting a written complaint or reporting it by phone.
The online form is broken down into 30 sections and prompts the employee for pertinent information. In this way, the complaints can be automatically forwarded to regional investigators. Additionally, the form can be downloaded and then submitted in person, by fax or by mail to the agency. This new method of filing a complaint allows a worker to submit forms directly to OSHA 24 hours a day, which provides more flexibility to meet filing deadlines. Yet another benefit of the online form is improved customer service, as the online option streamlines the process and reduces complaint processing time.
Evelyn Brown, J.D., LL.M, founder and chief executive of public-policy advocacy group Whistlewatch.org, feels that, "Making it easy for workers to notify OSHA of wrongdoing protects public health and safety." In fact, more than 2900 workers filed whistle-blower complaints in the fiscal year 2013. Looking ahead, Brown would like to further reforms and see OSHA protect the identity of the whistle-blower, ultimately protecting their job.
Currently, OSHA enforces the whistle-blower provisions of 22 statutes. These statutes protect employees who report violations of laws that pertain to trucking, nuclear power, airlines, securities, rail, pipeline, environmental, workplace safety and health, public transportation and consumer protection. More detailed information on employee whistle-blower rights is available at www.whistleblowers.gov. Included on this site are fact sheets and instructions on submitting the form in a hard-copy format.
As an employer, you should review your own whistle-blower and anti-retaliation policies. Supervisors should be trained in handling employee claims and a concise internal complaint process should be in place.
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