Secretary of Labor Walsh’s Message to Whistleblowers “Every worker has the right to speak up”
Thursday, July 29, 2021

Today, U.S. Secretary of Labor and former Mayor of Boston Marty Walsh spoke at the annual celebration of National Whistleblower Day, where he emphasized his support for whistleblowers in the federal workforce.

“I want to be clear: every worker has the right to speak up,” Walsh said in his keynote address. “If they’re mistreated, denied their rights, or have concerns about safety. And when an employer retaliates, it’s not only wrong, it’s illegal.”

As the head of the Department of Labor (DOL), Secretary Walsh is in charge of the federal agency tasked with the oversight of over 20 different whistleblower statutes, by far the most whistleblower statutes enforced by a single agency.

The parent agency of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), the DOL oversees investigations into whistleblower retaliation cases concerning COVID-19 and workplace safety. The DOL also enforces laws protecting whistleblowers who disclose a wide range of other violations, from nuclear waste issues to aviation safety concerns.

Walsh was part of a panel called Government Leaders Support Whistleblowers! during the second day of the three-day celebration of National Whistleblower Appreciation Day, hosted by the National Whistleblower Center and Whistleblower Network News.

Ben Kostyack contributed to this article.

 

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