Final answer:
Workers must report retaliation or discrimination by their employer to OSHA within 30 days. Employers should not retaliate against employees for exercising their OSHA rights, including reporting injuries or unsafe conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a worker has been retaliated against or discriminated for advocating their rights or reporting a workplace hazard or discrimination, it is crucial to report this to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in a timely manner. Under the Whistleblower Protection Program, workers must file a complaint with OSHA within 30 days of the alleged retaliation or discrimination.
OSHA standards require employers to not retaliate or discriminate against workers for using their rights under the law, including their right to report a work-related injury or illness. Employers are also required to provide safety training, keep accurate records of injuries and illnesses, perform workplace tests such as air sampling, provide personal protective equipment at no cost, and allow workers to participate in OSHA inspections.
OSHA is committed to enforcing protections against workplace retaliation and discrimination. For instance, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act allows individuals to seek redress for pay discrimination with a more extended timeframe, providing that each discriminatory paycheck restarts the six-month period to file a claim.