An employee who has blown the whistle on unfair or unlawful practices may be concerned about having to deal with retaliation. However, there are certain protections that whistleblowers have which will keep them safe from a number of different discriminations that could make their job experience miserable.
Not everyone knows that whistleblowers have certain protections. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) say that there is a legal time limit that must be followed when these protections are violated. If the legal time limit is surpassed, then it will be more difficult or even impossible for OSHA to make sure that a person does not face unlawful punishments for their hand in uncovering unjustness in the workplace.
If an employer files a complaint within the legal frame of time, there are a number of situations and scenarios that they can protect themselves against. This includes being threatened or intimidated, suffering from a reduction in hours or pay, suspension, being fired or being laid off, facing a refusal to rehire, disciplining, demotion, blacklisting, or being reassigned to an undesirable position. Likewise, employees are protected against the denial of benefits, promotions or overtime.
These can all happen to a person if they blow the whistle on a company. While their identities are usually protected by OSHA, sometimes there is no way to avoid rumors or information being leaked among workmates. Because of this, it is important for whistle-blowing employees to know their rights and how to keep protected in their work environment even after calling their employers out.