Factsheet of the "Protecting Workers Who Exercize Rights" Project of the National COSH Network
There are rights that you have under federal environmental laws that protect you from being fired or harassed by your boss for reporting illegal or potentially illegal activities. You can protect both the environment and your job. It is against the law for your boss to fire, demote or harass you because you did not want to break these environmental laws. You are not protected if you assist in breaking the law!
These laws are :
- The Clean Air Act
- CERCLA (Comprehensive Enviroonmental Response, Compensation and Liability Ac)
- The Safe Drinking Water Act
- The Federal Water Polution Control Act
- The Energy Reauthorization Act
- Toxic Substance Control Act
- Solid Waste Disposal Act
How Do You Use These Laws to Protect Yourself?
If you were fired or harassed by your boss for refusing to break one of the environmental laws or for bringing illegal activity under these laws to the attention of government authorities - to protect your rights, you must :
- File a writen complaint with OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) within 30 days of when the retaliation occured.
- The acts that you would not do that got you in trouble with your boss.
- What your boss did to you because you did not break the law.
- Talk to co-workers to see if they are willing to help you in your complaint.
- Talk to your union if you have one.
- Contact your local COSH/Labor Group. Call WisCOSH at (414) 933-2338 or scwCOSH at (608) 257-4272 for the COSH group nearest you.
- Or contact the Government Accountability Project in Washington D.C. at (212) 408-0034.
- Contact the OSHA office nearest you (call 1-800-321-OSHA for the number)
ACT FAST
You must act quickly to preserve your rights!!!
This material has been funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, under grant #46A7-HT51. These materials do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.