Reforms Made to Government Whistleblower Claims Laws

When workers discover their health or safety is being put in jeopardy by the actions of their employer, their employment is protected under the law. These laws were not created until 2010 though and required further action earlier this year in order to implement the changes to the laws that regulate government whistleblower claims.
Earlier this year in February, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) drafted and implemented several changes to the Food Safety Modernization Act that protects employees of the food manufacturing and distribution industry from retaliation in the event they come forward with reports of safety violations. The changes include:

  • Food industry companies cannot take retaliatory action against an employee for reporting food safety violations.
  • Whistleblowers must file their complaints with OSHA no more than 180 days after the incident occurred.
  • Either side of a whistleblower case can call for an appeal of any decision that’s made by an administrative judge.
  • Decisions from the Department of Labor review board can be appealed to the United States Court of Appeals.

Government officials say they hope the changes will encourage more employees to come forward with safety and health violations they notice, thus better protecting the public from harm.
The St. Louis personal injury attorneys with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers understand the importance of government whistleblower claims and laws, which is why we are here to help if you’ve noticed unsafe conditions at your place of employment.