DOL Requests Additional $6 Million to Fund Whistleblower Investigations

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) should be commended for requesting an additional $6 million in funding for its whistleblower programs, which would allow them to hire an additional 45 full-time employees. The DOL enforces 21 federal statutes enacted by Congress to protect employees who report illegal or unsafe activity from being retaliated against by their employer. Deficiencies in the program were recently highlighted in a Government Accountability Office report and the DOL’s own internal investigations. Attorneys at the The Employment Law Group® and other law firms were invited by the DOL to provide feedback on how the whistleblower programs could be improved. The recommendations included, among other ones, the following:

• OSHA should update the training of OSHA investigators so that their interpretation of the law is consistent agency-wide.
• OSHA should further develop its relationships with other law enforcement agencies so that OSHA can leverage their expertise.
•  OSHA should issue a plain English procedural guide for complainants who are not represented by counsel.

The DOL’s request for additional funding underscores the seriousness with which the DOL intends to combat whistleblower retaliation. To learn more about the federal statutes that prohibit whistleblower retaliation, click here.

Tagged: Enforcement Bodies, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)