Offshore Oil and Gas Worker Whistleblower Protection Act

Protection for Reporting Safety and Environmental Risks: Workers are protected from retaliation if they report illnesses, injuries, unsafe conditions, or issues regarding the adequacy of oil spill response plans (Section 2(a)(6)).

Protection for Refusing Dangerous Work: Employees can exercise "stop work authority" or refuse duties without fear of retaliation if they have a reasonable belief that the work could cause injury or an oil spill (Section 2(a)(7)).

Protection for Reporting Legal Violations: The bill protects those who provide information regarding violations of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act or related regulations (Section 2(a)(1)).

Access to Financial Remedies: If an employee is wrongfully terminated or discriminated against, they can be awarded relief such as reinstatement, double back pay, interest, and compensatory damages (Section 2(b)(3)(B)).

Mandatory Safety Information and Training: Employers are required to post notices explaining employee rights and must provide training on these rights within 30 days of employment and annually thereafter (Section 2(e)).

Burden of Proof for Complainants: To move forward with a complaint, a worker must make a "prima facie" showing that their protected activity was a contributing factor in the adverse action taken against them (Section 2(b)(2)(D)(i)).

Employer Defense Against Complaints: An employer can avoid an investigation or relief by demonstrating through "clear and convincing evidence" that they would have taken the same adverse action regardless of the employee's behavior (Section 2(b)(2)(D)(ii)).

Time Constraints on Filing: Employees must file their complaint within 180 days of the alleged violation or when they should have reasonably known about it (Section 2(b)(1)).