Postal Service safety specialist subjected to retaliation, suit alleges

A safety specialist for the U.S. Postal Service in Seattle was reprimanded after helping a coworker file a complaint with OSHA, the agency says. The Department of Labor is suing, saying the Postal Service violated the whistleblower protection provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

An OSHA investigation determined the Postal Service "followed a pattern of adverse actions against the safety specialist ... after learning that he had assisted another employee in exercising her rights under the OSH Act," the agency says. The coworker later filed a formal complaint with OSHA alleging unhealthful conditions at the Seattle Process and Distribution Center.

The safety specialist was subsequently reprimanded, restricted from contact with staff at the facility, transferred to an office without the necessary equipment to perform his job, and overlooked for a promotion, according to the agency.

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OSHA is asking the U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington to order a permanent injunction against the Postal Service to "prevent future violations of the law." Additionally, the suit seeks "appropriate relief" for the safety specialist, including payment of lost wages and benefits and compensatory damages for emotional distress.

Under the whistleblower provisions enacted by Congress, employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees who raise various protected concerns or provide protected information to the employer or the government.

Read more at the WorkersComp Forum homepage.

May 10, 2012

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