By Hao Nguyen, Esq.
Senior Product and Regulatory Counsel
Workplace violations just got a bit more expensive this year. The United States Department of Labor published its list of annual increases. Starting January 16, OSHA’s maximum civil penalties increased for all workplace safety citations issued by the agency. This includes those employers who have a pending investigation with OSHA.
These penalties will increase every year. The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (that wasn’t a typo) was meant to improve the effectiveness of the civil monetary penalties and maintain its deterrent effect as inflation increases.
Our friends at Fisher Phillips created this excellent graphic that summarizes the increase across all of the various categories of violations. The dealers located in states where there is a State Plan should be cognizant of the fact that your civil penalties may differ.
Is There Anything I Should Do?
Dealers across the country should remain vigilant about workplace safety (dare I say dang near obsessive about it) and know their rights during an OSHA inspection. Furthermore, dealers need to understand what their options are before they either accept or contest a violation. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at info@complyauto.com. If you have more specific legal questions, you can reach out to Travis Vance of Fisher Phillips at tvance@fisherphillips.com.