As a resident in New Jersey who knows that something is wrong at your workplace, what do you do? Do you report your findings? If you have been in a situation like this, you likely felt caught between a rock and a hard place. Your conscious may be telling you that reporting the situation is the right thing to do, but you may also be worried about retaliatory actions like being fired, or your boss making your job more difficult.
Fortunately, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has whistleblower protection programs specifically to handle situations like this. First, it should be noted that there are some restrictions to these programs. You must file a complaint within a certain number of days from the incident you are reporting. However, you can report it in any language, and you can submit your report either orally or in writing.
Once you have submitted a report within the correct amount of time, you will be offered protection. These programs will keep your employer from retaliating against you in ways like:
- Reducing your pay
- Denying you promotions
- Firing you
- Giving you unsavory jobs
- Harassing you on the job
There are numerous cases you can observe which show employees just like you facing retaliation from employers who were angry that they called them out on their illegal behaviors. In these cases, these employees were afforded protection under whistleblower programs. You can also seek the aid of an experienced attorney if you feel the need to take the case to court.