Final Rule Issued by OSHA to Protect Whistleblowers Under Consumer Financial Protection Act

April 3, 2014
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an interim final rule establishing procedures and time frames for handling retaliation complaints under the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA).

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an interim final rule establishing procedures and time frames for handling retaliation complaints under the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA).

OSHA invites the public to submit comments on the interim final rule.

CFPA, enacted July 21, 2010, protects employees against retaliation by entities that offer or provide consumer financial products or services, such as residential mortgages, mortgage loan modification and foreclosure relief services, private education loans, payday loans, consumer credit and debt relief services.

This interim final rule establishes procedures, burdens of proof, remedies and statutes of limitations similar to other whistleblower protection statutes that OSHA administers.

Individuals may submit comments electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, the Federal eRulemaking Portal, via mail or facsimile. See the Federal Register notice for details. Comments must be submitted by June 2, 2014.

OSHA has also developed a new fact sheet, Filing Whistleblower Complaints under the Consumer Financial Protection Act. The fact sheet explains who is covered under the act, protected activity, types of retaliation and the process of filing a complaint.

OSHA enforces the whistleblower provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and 21 other statutes protecting employees who report violations of various workplace, commercial motor vehicle, airline, nuclear, pipeline, environmental, railroad, public transportation, maritime, consumer product, motor vehicle safety, health care reform, corporate securities, food safety and consumer financial reform regulations. Additional information is available at http://www.whistleblowers.gov.