WASHINGTON — A truck driver working for a road construction company has been awarded approximately $184,000 after a whistleblower investigation found that the company had violated federal rest-break and hours-of-service laws.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducted the investigation. OSHA ordered the driver’s employer, Chilhowie, Virginia-based W-L Construction & Paving (W-L) and its parent, building materials company CRH Americas (NYSE: CRH), to reinstate the driver, whose name was withheld. They were also ordered to pay the driver $58,318 in back wages and interest, $115,694 in compensatory damages, $10,000 in punitive damages, and attorney’s fees.

“W-L Construction & Paving illegally retaliated against an employee who raised legitimate concerns about their ability to meet the company’s demands without jeopardizing their safety or that of others,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Michael Rivera.

“Our nation’s supply chain and economy depend on commercial drivers operating their rigs safely to deliver their cargo. OSHA will hold employers accountable when they ignore workers’ concerns about their safety and that of others. Workers should know speaking freely without fear of retaliation when safety is compromised is [a] protected right under federal law.”

According to OSHA’s investigation, the driver, who operated a “low-boy” tractor trailer (used to haul construction equipment), notified a supervisor in July...

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