A former manager at a Chino, Calif. e-cigarette manufacturer will be compensated and reinstated after claiming the liquids being made violated federal environment laws.
OSHA has ordered Mr. Good Vape LLC, the e-liquid company, to pay the worker $110,000 in compensation as well as reinstate.
“No one should lose his job for raising reasonable concerns about potential threats in the workplace,” said Barbara Goto, OSHA regional administrator.
On May 6, 2015, after learning that the manager reported his concerns to the California Department of Environmental Protection, the company suspended him, then terminated him two days later. An OSHA investigation concluded that the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA) protected the former manager’s whistleblower activities, and that these activities were motivating factors in his suspension and termination.
In addition to reinstatement and compensation, OSHA ordered the employer to clear the former manager’s personnel file of any reference to the matter; and post a notice informing all employees of their whistleblower protections under TSCA and the SWDA.
Mr. Good Vape LLC may appeal the order to the Department of Labor’s Office of Administrative Law Judges.