Can I be retaliated against for reporting health and safety violations?

Yes, you can be retaliated against for reporting health and safety violations under Washington Whistleblower Laws. Washington state protects workers who make good faith reports of violations of the state’s safety and health laws. Whistleblowers are protected from any form of retaliation, including discrimination, demotion, suspension, discharge, or threat of any of these actions. It is illegal for an employer to retaliate against an employee for making a report of health and safety violations or for refusing to work due to violations. However, there are limitations to Washington Whistleblower Laws. For example, an employee must show that they had an objectively reasonable belief that a violation has occurred in order to be protected from retaliation. An employee may not be protected from retaliation if they make a report based on unfounded speculation or unsupported opinion. It is important for an employee to have the facts and evidence to support their report in order to be protected under the Whistleblower Laws. In addition, in order to be protected under the Washington Whistleblower Laws, the employee must believe that the violation is causing an imminent threat of death or serious harm to an individual. An employee is only protected under the Washington Whistleblower Laws for violations of safety and health laws and not for other violations such as financial fraud or environmental violations. It is important for employees to be aware of the Washington Whistleblower Laws and the limitations thereof. Employees should be aware that they may be protected from retaliation if they make good faith reports of health and safety violations and that there may be consequences if they make unfounded or unsupported reports of violations.

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Can I be retaliated against for reporting health and safety violations?

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