The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced on February 14 that it is suing a Florida security contractor for firing an employee who raised safety concerns. The DOL is asking the company to pay the employee damages and compensatory damages, among other things.
The DOL alleges in its complaint that VRP Group Inc., also known as Regius Investigations and Protective Services as its business name, illegally fired an employee in August of 2020. According to the news release, the employee “raised concerns in a work group chat on a secure messaging app about safe firearm storage and coronavirus-related workplace hazards, including a lack of physical distancing and other potential exposure risks.” VRP Group then allegedly informed the worker that they had been terminated via the same messaging app, shortly after the worker sent the text.
“The worker was among a group of Regius employees assigned initially to supply security services to Entergy Texas to secure properties near Port Arthur,” the news release states. “After Regius directed the worker and their colleagues to relocate from an area hotel to temporary housing, the worker raised concerns with their supervisors about the move, citing COVID-19 policies and protocols and the need for secure firearm storage.”
After being terminated, the whistleblower filed a retaliation complaint with DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA’s Dallas Regional Office of Whistleblower Protection Programs conducted an...
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