From our offices in the Detroit area, Akeel & Valentine, PLC serves clients nationwide.

From our offices in the Detroit area, Akeel & Valentine, PLC serves clients nationwide.

What happens during a whistleblower investigation?

On Behalf of | Jul 13, 2022 | Whistleblower

When you work for a Michigan employer and that employer is doing something unethical, illegal or unsafe, you may feel an obligation to report the wrongdoing. Known as “blowing the whistle,” this involves reporting the act or acts to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. If you blow the whistle on your employer and he or she then retaliates against you, you may decide to file a complaint against who you feel is the responsible party. Then, OSHA decides whether to move forward with a full investigation.

Per OSHA, if the administration believes your complaint has enough merit to warrant an investigation, it then assigns an OSHA whistleblower investigator to your case.

Navigating the investigation

Ahead of the investigation, it is wise to compile as much evidence and information as possible to back up your claims. You then have to make sure the respondent, or the party you alleged committed the wrongdoing, has copies of all the information you compile related to your complaint. The respondent then has a chance to respond to the allegation in writing, and then both of you have a chance to respond to the other’s arguments.

Concluding the investigation

Following the investigation, the investigator then tells his or her supervisor whether the investigator feels the respondent violated the whistleblower statute in question. If the supervisor agrees, they then notify both parties about the final decision and include information about remedies.

In most cases, the respondent, if not happy about the outcome, has the option of objecting to the decision and asking an administrative law judge to take on the case.