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 and the environment. The employee protection provisions of these Acts prohibit employers from discharging or otherwise discriminating against employees in retaliation for their disclosure to the employer or to the appropriate federal agency of safety and health hazards. 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.
Employees have the right under the Acts to refuse to work in hazardous or unsafe situations.
Assistance Available More detailed information, including copies of regulatory and interpretative materials, may be obtained by contacting your nearest OSHA offices . Penalties Upon receipt of a complaint, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration 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.