ExxonMobil Corporation was required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor to reinstate two workers and pay them more than $800,000 in back pay, interest and compensatory damages.
Upon suspicion they had leaked material to the Wall Street Journal, the corporation fired the employees without authorization, according to a federal whistleblower inquiry, an Oct. 7 news release said.
“ExxonMobil’s actions are unacceptable. The integrity of the U.S. financial system relies on companies to report their financial condition and assets accurately,” Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker said in the release. "Whistleblower protection is integral to ensuring that financial disclosure laws work. As was the case in this instance, OSHA will aggressively protect the rights of employees who raise concerns related to financial improprieties or potential fraud against shareholders."
ExxonMobil fired two computational scientists who expressed concerns about actions of the firm in late 2020, according to OSHA's investigation. The business asserted it fired one of the scientists for improper handling of confidential corporate data and the second for displaying a "negative attitude," looking for alternative employment and losing management's trust, the release reported.
The investigation found that, under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the employees’ communication with the newspaper, related to alleged company violations, was protected, according to the release.
