ESSENTIAL WORKERS
ESSENTIAL PROTECTIONS

How to make a safety complaint to OSHA

Note: Your employer cannot punish you for reporting injuries or complaining about health and safety problems. If you or your co-workers are punished, fired, demoted, transferred, or discriminated against for reporting a safety issue, file a discrimination complaint with OSHA within 30 days.

The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.

Brochures and resources about your right to health and safety at work:

• Meat and Poultry Workers: What do I do if I’m injured at work?
• Meat and Poultry Workers: Avoid Knife Injuries on the Job!
• Wallet card about your rights as a worker (OSHA)
• We Are OSHA – We Can Help: Workers’ Rights (OSHA)
• Protect Yourself: Cleaning chemicals and your health (OSHA)
• Filing Whistleblower Complaints (OSHA)
• “Am I Safe?” My Safety Is My Future Checklist
• Your Rights Under OSHA – English & Spanish (UFCW)
• Additional worker safety materials in multiple languages (OSHA)

UFCW Safety & Health: Educational materials on bathroom breaks and many other safety issues.

• What is workers’ compensation? (Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Court)
• Right to choose your own doctor (Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Court)
• Meat and Poultry Workers: What do I do if I’m injured at work?

• Filing a wage complaint (Nebraska)
• Filing a wage complaint (Federal)

• Discrimination based on race, color, sex, pregnancy, national origin, marital status, disability, religion, age (40-years-old and over)
  • Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission (NEOC)
  • Discrimination is prohibited by state law flyer (NEOC)
  • How to file a discrimination complaint to the NEOC
• Citizenship Discrimination flyer (NILC)
• National Origin Discrimination
  • Brochure from U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
  • Other languages
• Document Abuse – When an employer won’t accept acceptable documents (NILC)
• Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices Website
• Your Rights as an Immigrant Worker Brochure (NILC)
• Other Workers’ Rights Materials (NILC)

• Learn about Unions

Pain as a serious warning sign; work speed and recognizing crippling injuries before they are permanent; reporting injuries; and seeing your own doctor.

Reporting safety concerns and injuries, and knowing your rights if your employer retaliates after you report an injury or safety issue.

Your right to receive proper training.

What is OSHA, and the right to choose your own doctor (in Nebraska and some other states).

How to file an OSHA complaint and what information to include.

Never sign something you don’t understand; don’t give away your right to choose your own doctor; and proper treatment of injuries.