Wells Fargo Ordered to Pay Over $22M, Allegedly Violated Whistleblower Protection Provisions, OSHA says
A senior manager who reported alleged violations was terminated in 2019.
- By Alex Saurman
- Sep 07, 2022
Wells Fargo was ordered to pay more than $22 million to a senior manager after they were terminated in 2019. OSHA alleges that Wells Fargo violated whistleblower protection provisions.
According to a news release, the senior manager who worked in the Chicago area alleged the company had violated financial laws. Their concerns included allegedly being told to “falsify customer information” and that management allegedly “engaged in price fixing and interest rate collusion through exclusive dealing,” OSHA said. The manager reported the alleged financial misconduct to “area managers and the corporate ethics line,” the news release said. They were terminated in 2019.
An immediate cause for the manager's termination was not provided. The company later said the manager was terminated due to “restructuring,” but an investigation revealed a lack of consistency with terminations “under the initiative,” OSHA said.
OSHA ordered the company to pay over $22 million to the manager for “back wages, interest, lost bonuses and benefits, front pay and compensatory damages,” according to the news release.
The whistleblower protection program protects workers who report information about their place of work from retaliation, or “adverse actions” like termination.
About the Author
Alex Saurman is a former Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety,who has since joined OH&S’s client services team. She continues to work closely with OH&S’s editorial team and contributes to the magazine.