Hotel Operator Pays Back Wages to Worker Fired for Reporting Unsafe Conditions

The operator of a Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Waller, Texas has agreed to pay an employee more than US$7,000 in back wages for firing the worker after he reported unsafe working conditions at the hotel.

All Seasons Hospitality and Investments LLC and hotel owner Tanvir Shahmohd will pay the employee back wages and damages following a whistleblower investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The investigation involved a January 2019 incident in which the employee voiced concerns about carbon monoxide exposure in the workplace. The employee told Shahmohd they felt ill and requested medical attention, but the employer refused to call an ambulance. The employee was terminated after they went to the hospital.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas signed a consent judgment on November 5 in which the company and owner will pay $3,750 in back wages and $3,700 in compensatory damages to the former employee.

“All Seasons Hospitality and Investments LLC and owner Tanvir Shahmohd ignored an employee’s concerns for their health and safety,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Eric S. Harbin. “Employees have the right to report unsafe working conditions and seek medical care without the fear of losing their job and other retaliation. Our investigation, litigation, and court’s decision upheld these protections.”