TELG Principal Attorney Responds to OSHA Funding Request

Law360 quoted Nicholas Woodfield, a principal attorney at The Employment Law Group® law firm, regarding the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s request for an additional $6.1 million to fund 45 more investigators for its whistleblower programs.   Mr. Woodfield stated:

More efficient investigations are among OSHA’s goals, but unless the workload for investigators gets lighter, there are still going to be substantial delays.

You can have the greatest systems in place, but if the demand for them is so great that you have to stand in line for a couple of years, you’re effectively denying the benefits to the populace.

OSHA’s commitment to bolstering investigator training is a positive sign, however, and could translate to a more consistent application of the law to cases.

OSHA is responsible for administering 21 whistleblower laws that prohibit employers from retaliating against employees who report violations of workplace safety, airline, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, environmental, financial reform, food safety, health care reform, nuclear, public transportation, railroad, and securities laws.

Tagged: P.C., The Employment Law Group, P.C., Whistleblower Laws (Federal), Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA)