Employers – Take Reports of Mold in the Workplace Seriously
Employers Must Weigh Concerns of Mold Seriously In the Workplace.
Recently, a Pennsylvania employee was fired from her job for reporting mold in the workplace. She had notified the company of the problem, and when they failed to take steps to remedy the problem, reported to OSHA.
Mold in the Workplace: Don’t Ignore It
The company was notified by OSHA representatives that the issue had been brought to their attention and the area needed to be inspected.
Long story short, the company had the area inspected and was told there was a significant mold issue that needed immediate remediation. The company acknowledged the problem, but two months later, refused to take action. The employee continued to file complaints and several weeks after the inspection was completed, the company retaliated by firing her.
This is a direct violation of federal legislation put in place to protect employees who “blow the whistle” on illegal conduct. In too many instances, employees are afraid to come forward for exactly what happened to the Pennsylvania employee and why protections were put into law.
The company’s failure to take action and the firing of a whistleblower, which is the term used for people who bring illegal situations to light, cost the business $105,000 as a settlement to the employee. It most likely would have cost less to have had a professional mold treatment of the affected area.
If you are aware of a mold problem or an employee(s) bring it to your attention, don’t hesitate to hire mold removal service in New Jersey immediately.
At Stern Mold, we handle mold removal in New Jersey with specialized treatments to eliminate problems and make sure everyone is working in a healthy, mold-free environment.