National COSH: OSHA whistleblower complaints skyrocket during COVID-19
Illegal retaliation puts workers at risk, say safety advocates, as Inspector General warns of delays and calls for faster investigations
Imagine getting fired for requesting a mask, feeling sick, or suggesting safer work protocols that will reduce your risk of getting infected with COVID-19. This is the current reality of thousands of workers across the country and it is unfair and illegal. As complaints of retaliation against whistleblowers skyrocket during the COVID-19 pandemic, safety advocates say workers’ lives are at risk due to a slow and inadequate response from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
“Workers are getting sick and dying every day,” said Jessica Martinez, co-executive director of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH). “But in far too many cases, when workers speak up to demand better safety, they are targeted for retaliation. OSHA is failing to give workers the protection they urgently need when they report dangers that put their lives and families at grave risk.”