OSHA has signed a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that aims to deepen information-sharing and cooperative enforcement efforts between the two agencies, with a particular focus on whistleblower protections.
OSHA is seeking to release by the end of this month long-awaited final rules on both electronic recordkeeping mandates and COVID-19 infection controls in healthcare facilities, alongside several proposed policies, while delaying other rulemakings from their previous timelines -- some by over a year, according to its latest Unified Agenda of rulemaking actions.
OSHA is touting a recent district court decision that found the United States Postal Service (USPS) unlawfully retaliated against a worker for reporting an on-the-job injury, but the ruling also rejected -- for now -- the agency’s bid for an order that would require USPS to strengthen its whistleblower protections nationwide.
OSHA leaders say the agency has begun certifying two types of visas for workers who were victims of human trafficking, forced labor and other crimes, it announced, nearly two months after officials announced plans to issue the documents in order to protect workers who are undocumented immigrants or subject to time-limited visas during investigations.
OSHA has finalized a year-old interim rule that set out procedures for handling whistleblower complaints under the 2019 Taxpayer First Act (TFA) that created anti-retaliation protections for employees who report potential tax fraud and other violations, largely adopting the model it set out in the interim measure.
OSHA is opening new rounds of nominations to its advisory committees for worker safety in the maritime and construction sectors ahead of term expirations for the full rosters of both panels this spring, as the agency is also preparing to fill four spots on its influential National Advisory Committee on Safety and Health (NACOSH).
OSHA is touting a recent district court decision allowing a novel whistleblower enforcement suit over COVID-19 infection risks at a New York healthcare center to proceed despite the employee’s agreement not to sue over the alleged retaliation on her own behalf, calling it a “significant” victory for officials’ authority to prosecute similar cases across the country.
OSHA is ordering ExxonMobil to reinstate two former employees who the agency says were illegally fired in retaliation for potentially leaking information to the press, and to pay them over $800,000 in back wages, compensatory damages and interest, in its second high-profile whistleblower enforcement action of recent months.
OSHA is ordering Wells Fargo to pay $22 million in damages to a former senior manager who was terminated from the banking giant in 2019 after “repeatedly” raising concerns over alleged misconduct apparently linked to its account-fraud scandal -- years after an internal investigation found the agency mishandled similar claims.
OSHA finalized a “complete overhaul” of its handbook for investigating whistleblower retaliation complaints, incorporating a long list of previously separate guidance into the core manual and setting new procedural requirements for various steps of the process, triggering a mandate for state plans to adopt their own version of the new document.