The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced late last week that it will accept public comments on draft guidance that is designed to protect employees from retaliation when they raise concerns about potentially harmful workplace conditions or activities. The draft guidance, “Protecting Whistleblowers: Recommended Practices for Employers for Preventing and Addressing Retaliation,” will assist employers in creating and fostering a non-retaliatory environment in the workplace.
In the guidance, OSHA identified five steps to building an effective anti-retaliation program:
- ensure leadership commitment,
- foster an anti-retaliation culture,
- implement a system for responding to reports of retaliation,
- conduct anti-retaliation training, and
- monitor progress and program improvement.
The draft guidance is based on recommendations from the Whistleblower Protection Advisory Committee in its document “Best Practices for Protecting Whistle Blowers and Preventing and Addressing Retaliation.”
The request for comment can be found here. IDFA will review the draft guidance and determine appropriate next steps.
Members with questions may contact Emily Lyons, director of regulatory affairs and counsel for IDFA, at elyons@idfa.org.