OSHA’s Recommended Practices for Anti-Retaliation Programs

On January 13, 2017, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued its Recommended Practices for Anti-Retaliation Programs document to help companies develop their own anti-retaliation programs which allow employees to voice their workplace concerns without fear of being retaliated against.

The document highlights five key elements to an effective anti-retaliation program that should include:

• Management leadership, commitment, and accountability
  • It is important that senior management demonstrates leadership and commitment to make preventing retaliation and following the law important aspects of the company culture.
• A system for listening to and resolving employees’ safety and compliance concerns
  • Companies should cultivate a culture in which voicing concerns about workplace conditions is valued.
• A system for receiving and responding to reports of retaliation
  • Employees should have an independent avenue for reporting retaliation and should not be required to report to their direct managers who they believe retaliated against them.
• Anti-retaliation training for employees and managers
  • Training is essential because it provides management and employees with the knowledge, skills, and tools they need to recognize, report, prevent, and/or properly address hazards, potential violations of the law, and retaliation.
• Program oversight
  • Companies should develop and implement a plan for oversight of the anti-retaliation program, review oversight findings, and ensure that the program is improved and modified as needed.

This advisory list applies to all public and private companies to help improve or create their own comprehensive anti-retaliations programs.

For more information, please visit the OSHA website.