A federal investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) determined that Union Pacific Railroad Co. violated the Federal Railroad Safety Act when it terminated a railroad engineer who reported and sought medical care for a work-related injury.
As a result of the findings, OSHA ordered Union Pacific to reinstate the employee and pay more than $300,000 in back wages, interest, compensatory and punitive damages, as well as attorney’s fees.
OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program is responsible for enforcing 25 different statutes that shield employees from retaliation after reporting violations related to workplace safety, health regulations, financial reform, environmental laws, and other areas. Employees seeking more information about their rights under these protections can visit OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Programs webpage at https://www.osha.gov/whistleblower/.
The U.S. Department of Labor does not disclose the names of employees involved in whistleblower cases.
