OSHA orders Maersk to pay $707K over suspending, firing whistleblower
By Adrianne Appel2024-07-30T12:52:00
Global shipping giant Maersk Line Limited (MLL) agreed to pay more than $700,000 and reinstate a seaman who was terminated after he alerted a federal regulatory agency about alleged safety violations, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (DOL-OSHA) said.
The DOL ordered MLL to pay nearly $458,000 in back wages, interest, and compensatory damages, along with $250,000 in punitive damages, the agency said in a press release July 19.
The company must revise its whistleblower policy to make clear that employees can bring concerns directly to federal agencies, according to a July 15 settlement agreement.