Workers in California, like you, may sometimes need an advocate on your side. Whether it’s to stand up in cases of discrimination or to ensure you aren’t being overworked, the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), were created to help make sure you’re covered.
So, what exactly is OSHA? According to the United States Department of Labor, OSHA is there to maintain a healthy and safe workplace for all working people. OSHA is part of the Department of Labor and the administrator of OSHA reports to the Secretary of Labor. Accordingly, a business getting in trouble with OSHA is a pretty big deal. Similarly, a California company also has to comply with DOSH standards. DOSH is responsible for enforcing California laws and regulations pertaining to workplace safety and health.
Not only do OSHA and DOSH enforce the rules of fairness in the workplace, but they create and set new ones as needed to ensure a good and healthy balance for everyone that they aim to protect.
This includes handling discrimination or harassment, dealing with protecting “whistleblowers”. Whistleblowers are people that report their company or certain individuals for unsafe or unfair working conditions. They may fear retaliation from their bosses for calling the authorities into the situation, and may want to remain anonymous and have their identity protected.
As a worker, any additional protection could be a huge amount of help to you. OSHA and DOSH work to ensure that you don’t have to face unjust situations or poor working conditions in your place of employment in silence, and give you an option to fight back against these problems.