He started working for the U.S. Postal Service as a mail carrier in 1995. Managers praised his work consistently and regularly promoted him, eventually to management positions. His career led him to become a Postal Service safety specialist, where he excelled as he provided safety advice at more than 300 small postal facilities and area offices throughout Washington. In 2008, everything changed after the safety specialist advised a co-worker to call OSHA about her workplace health concerns.
Soon after, he found himself working in an increasingly hostile work environment. In a matter of months, the worker was transferred to another office, forced to work in an unheated storage room, demoted, restricted on his movements, publicly humiliated and subjected to four openly antagonistic interviews as part of workplace investigations. He was also issued a disciplinary letter and refused a promotion. In April 2008, the specialist filed his first whistleblower complaint with OSHA in Seattle. Several more complaints would follow as hostilities increased.