Judge orders Postal Service to pay damages to whistleblower

SEATTLE (AP) — A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Postal Service to pay a worker almost $230,000 in damages for the retaliation he suffered when he helped a co-worker with her workplace health concerns.

The judge says the Postal Service created a hostile work environment for the 20-year veteran postal worker all because he had advised a co-worker to report her concerns to OSHA. When he was demoted and treated poorly, he filed his own whistleblower complaint alleging retaliation and harassment.

The judge says the worker's actions were protected by a federal act that prohibits managers from retaliating against workers.

Janet Herold, an OSHA solicitor, says the worker was a true hero and says she hopes the decision will be a lesson to employers who think they can act with impunity.