The U.S. Department of Labor got a federal court judgment ordered the U.S. Postal Service to pay $141,307 to a former probationary mail carrier who was terminated after reporting an on-the-job injury. The mail carrier was fired 11 days before his probationary period ended. The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated. After a pre-litigation administrative settlement was not obtainable, the DOL filed a lawsuit. The judgment follows a 2-day bench trial in which the judge found that the USPS discriminated against the worker and wrongfully terminated him.
This incident occurred in Oregon, but this is not the first time the USPS has faced the same allegations. Since 2020, the DOL has filed 9 other federal lawsuits making the same claim, the USPS fired probationary employees for reporting injuries. These lawsuits have been filed in California, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington. This led the judge in the Oregon decision to conclude that the USPS provided “evidence of retaliatory intent.” Under the OSH Act of 1970, it’s illegal to fire employees, probationary or not, for exercising their rights to a healthy and safe workplace.
The Regional Solicitor of Labor Marc Pilotin in San Francisco calls the actions of the USPS “unconscionable.” He went on to say, “Employees and their families are harmed by these baseless terminations. In fact, the Oregon court found they caused ‘significant mental, emotional and financial stress’.” The DOL will continue to work with the USPS to make systemic changes within the agency to protect workers who work so hard for the citizens of the United States.
Workers have a right to a safe workplace and to have any medical bills paid for after an on-the-job injury. They shouldn’t have to fear losing their job for reporting injuries or safety issues. OSHA has more than 20 whistleblower protection laws. Employees have the right to refuse to perform a task that if they reasonably fear death or serious injury. To learn more about OSHA’s whistleblower protections for employees visit the Department of Labor’s webpage.
Dawn Brotherton is a Sr. Staff Writer at The American Genius with an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Oklahoma. She is an experienced business writer with over 10 years of experience in SEO and content creation. Since 2017, she has earned $60K+ in grant writing for a local community center, which assists disadvantaged adults in the area.
