Fired safety whistleblower gets $135K in back pay, damages
A plant manager who was fired after less than two weeks on the job – after reporting safety and health hazards at the facility – will receive $135,000 in back wages and compensatory damages, under a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) settlement.
Middletown, Pennsylvania-based York Building Products terminated the manager in 2014, shortly after he reported hazards to upper management that included excessive respirable dust; worker exposure to noxious chemicals caused by equipment overspray; lack of personal protective equipment for workers and broken tools and equipment. Many of the issues were brought to his attention by plant employees.