A trucker who was dismissed after flagging concerns about driver fatigue is getting his job back and being compensated, says OSHA.

The big picture: The construction company, W-L Construction & Paving Inc., was found to have wrongfully terminated the truck driver in September 2023 after he raised issues about being assigned workloads that exceeded federal safety requirements.

Details: OSHA's investigation revealed the driver had informed the company in July 2023 that the assignments were unsafe. Despite this, the company continued to assign work that led to 10 attendance infractions. OSHA determined that three of these infractions were protected under the Surface Transportation Assistance Act.

• W-L Construction has been ordered to reinstate the driver and pay him a total of $184,012.25, which includes back wages, compensatory damages, punitive damages, and legal fees.
• OSHA highlighted the importance of ensuring that truckers can operate safely without being pressured into violating safety regulations.

"OSHA will hold employers accountable when they ignore workers’ concerns about their safety," said OSHA Regional Administrator Michael J. Rivera in Philadelphia.

The decision aims to protect the rights of workers to voice safety concerns freely, "according to an OSHA press release.”

OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program provides further details on protections against retaliation for reporting safety violations.