OSHA ordered a Florida-based transportation company to pay almost $222,000 in back wages and damages to a worker who was allegedly fired for reporting safety concerns.
The agency says CSX Transportation violated the Federal Railroad Safety Act after it allegedly fired the worker in December 2019 for reporting safety issues.
CSX was ordered to pay the employee $71,976 in back wages, interest and damages and another $150,000 in punitive damages, according to a Department of Labor news release.
No details were provided on what the employee’s safety concerns were, but the news release does point to CSX demonstrating a pattern of retaliation against employees who report safety issues.
This recent investigation “is the latest example of CSX retaliating against workers for reporting safety concerns” with OSHA ordering CSX in October 2020 to reinstate an employee who reported an unsafe customer gate and a work-related injury.
CSX was also ordered to pay more than $95,000 in back wages and $75,000 in punitive damages following that investigation.
Similar whistleblower investigations with similar penalties occurred in 2010 and 2016 as well.
