OSHA Restructures Whistleblower Program

OSHA has restructured its Office of the Whistleblower Protection Program, which now reports directly to the Office of the Assistant Secretary. The program previously reported to its Directorate of Enforcement Programs. The agency reports the move is in response to its continued effort to strengthen employees' voices in the workplace and that it illustrates an "elevated priority status" for whistleblower enforcement.

"The ability of workers to speak out and exercise their rights without fear of retaliation provides the backbone for some of American workers' most essential legal protections," says OSHA Administrator David Michaels. "OSHA's internal improvement initiatives, including this realignment, demonstrate the agency's steadfast commitment to strengthening a program that is critically important to the protection of worker rights."