DOL Accuses USPS of Destroying Evidence in Whistleblower Case
In 2012, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) sued the United States Postal Service (USPS) for retaliating against a Safety Specialist at the Seattle, Washington Processing & Distribution Center (P&DC). According to the DOL press release:
OSHA’s investigation determined that the Postal Service followed a pattern of adverse actions against the safety specialist, who was assigned to the Seattle Process and Distribution Center at 10700 27th Ave. S., after learning that he had assisted another employee in exercising her rights under the OSH Act and provided her with OSHA’s contact information. That employee later filed a formal complaint with OSHA alleging unhealthful conditions at the facility. The specialist subsequently suffered a series of reprimands, was restricted from contact with staff at the facility and was transferred to an office without the necessary equipment to perform his job. The investigation also substantiated claims that the Postal Service reassigned many of the specialist’s duties to an individual with a lower pay grade and did not select him for a promotion because of his interactions with OSHA despite acknowledging him as qualified for the position.