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SMALL BUSINESS HANDBOOK: LAWS, REGULATIONS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES
6. WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION
Employee Protection (Whistleblower) Provisions -- Clean Air Act
(Title 42 U.S. Code, Section 7622); Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation and Liability Act (Title 42 U.S. Code,
Section 9610); Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (Title 42 U.S.
Code, Section 5851); Safe Drinking Water Act (Title 42 U.S. Code,
Section 300j-9(i)); Solid Waste Disposal Act (Title 42 U.S. Code,
Section 6971); Toxic Substances Control Act (Title 15 U.S. Code,
Section 2622); Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Title 33 U.S.
Code, Section 1367); 29 CFR 24).
Who is Covered
These environmental Acts provide protection from discharge or other
discriminatory actions by employers in retaliation for employees'
good faith complaints about safety and health hazards in the
workplace. The Acts cover all private sector employers.
Basic Provisions/Requirements
The employee protection provisions of these Acts prohibit employers
from discharging or otherwise discriminating against employees in
retaliation for their disclosure of safety and health hazards to
the employer or to the appropriate federal agency. They also
protect employee participation in formal government proceedings in
connection with safety and health hazards. The Acts specifically
exclude from protection the disclosure of hazards deliberately
caused by an employee. Additionally, the statutes do not protect
"frivolous" complaints. Employees have the right under the Acts to
refuse to work in hazardous or unsafe situations.
Employees who believe they have been discriminated against in
violation of these protective provisions may file a complaint,
within 30 days of the alleged violation, with the Employment
Standards Administration's Wage and Hour Division.
Assistance Available
More detailed information, including copies of explanatory
brochures and regulatory and interpretative materials, may be
obtained by contacting the offices listed in
the appendix.PenaltiesUpon receipt of a complaint, the Wage and Hour Division conducts an
investigation to determine whether a violation has occurred. When
a violation has occurred, the employer is notified of the violation
determination and efforts are made to conciliate the situation. The
employer may appeal a violation determination to an administrative
law judge, if done within 5 calendar days of the notification of
the determination. The administrative law judge's decision is
referred to the Secretary of Labor for a final order. The Secretary
may affirm or set aside the administrative law judge's decision.
Where the Secretary concludes that a violation has occurred,
his/her final order may instruct the employer to take affirmative
action to abate the violation and provide for appropriate relief,
which may include restoration of back pay, employment status and
benefits. The Secretary may also order the employer to provide
compensatory damages to the employee. If dissatisfied with the
Secretary's decision, the employer may appeal in federal court.
Final determinations on violations are enforceable through the
courts. The employee is entitled to similar appeal rights under the Acts.Relation to State, Local and Other Federal Laws
The current whistleblower programs do not preempt existing state
statutes and common law claims. All provisions contained in the
programs are in addition to protection provided by state laws.
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