• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
651.481.9787 Contact Us
CHESS

CHESS

Complete Health, Environmental & Safety Services, inc.

  • Who We Are
    • About Us
    • CHESS Players
    • Industries Served
    • Environmental Stewardship
    • Leadership, Awards & Honors
  • How We Can Help You
  • What We Do For You
    • Safety and Health Training
    • Industrial Hygiene
    • OSHA
    • Injury & Illness Prevention Programs (I2P2) / AWAIR Programs
    • Hazard Assessments and Controls
    • Injury Management
    • SDS Links
    • Environmental Compliance
    • Right to Know
    • Case Studies
  • News You Can Use
    • Articles
    • News
    • Blog
    • Newsletter

Beware Disincentives

Filed Under: Articles, News

13 years ago by bwadmin

OSHA has made it clear that they do not like incentive programs that would discourage employees from reporting injuries.  For example, rewarding a department for a certain number of days without a recordable injury.  You don’t want to be the employee who makes it so no one gets free pizza for lunch.

You also cannot punish an employee for reporting an injury.  That can become very expensive, as the article below from OSHA points out:


OSHA orders Union Pacific Railroad Co. to reinstate and pay more than $300,000 to terminated whistleblower

OSHA ordered Omaha, Neb.-based Union Pacific Railroad Co. to immediately reinstate an employee in Idaho who was terminated after reporting a work-related injury. OSHA also has ordered the company to pay the employee more than $300,000 in back wages, compensatory damages, attorney’s fees and punitive damages. The employee filed a whistleblower complaint with OSHA, alleging suspension without pay and then termination 23 days after notifying the company of an on-the-job injury. OSHA’s investigation found reasonable cause to believe that the disciplinary charges and termination were not based on the complainant breaking a work rule but on the complainant reporting an injury to the railroad, which violates the whistleblower protection provisions of the Federal Railroad Safety Act (FRSA). In addition to reinstatement and monetary compensation, OSHA has ordered the railroad to refrain from retaliating against the employee for exercising rights guaranteed under the FRSA.

See the news release for more information.

Related Posts

Fire, Fire Burning Bright (October 2025)

4 weeks ago

It Can’t Happen Here (September 2025)

2 months ago

Don’t Slip, Don’t Trip, Don’t Fall (July 2025)

4 months ago

Footer

Stay In Touch

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Popular Links

  • SDS Links Login
  • SDS Links Demo
  • Resources
  • Career Opportunities
  • Our Work
  • News You Can Use
    • Articles
    • News
    • Blog
  • Contact Us

Get In Touch

33 Wentworth Ave E Suite 320
West St. Paul, MN 55118-3432
PH: (651) 481-9787
Toll Free: (877) 48-CHESS

Copyright © 2026 Chess, INC | | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Minneapolis Web Design by BizzyWeb · Log in