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Title 46 — ShippingRelease 119-73

§80507 Employee protection

Title 46 › Subtitle Subtitle VIII— - Miscellaneous › Chapter CHAPTER 805— - SAFE CONTAINERS FOR INTERNATIONAL CARGO › § 80507

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Employers may not fire or treat an employee unfairly for reporting an unsafe container or for saying the employer broke this chapter or its rules. An employee who says they were fired or treated badly must file a complaint with the Secretary of Labor within 60 days of the problem. The Secretary of Labor can investigate the complaint. If the Secretary finds a violation, the Secretary can sue in federal district court. The court can order the employer to stop the bad actions and can require fixes, such as putting the employee back in their old job and paying lost wages. Within 30 days of getting the complaint, the Secretary must tell the person who filed it what action is planned.

Full Legal Text

Title 46, §80507

Shipping — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)A person may not discharge or discriminate against an employee because the employee has reported the existence of an unsafe container or a violation of this chapter or a regulation prescribed under this chapter.
(b)An employee alleging to have been discharged or discriminated against in violation of subsection (a) may file a complaint with the Secretary of Labor. The complaint must be filed within 60 days after the violation.
(c)The Secretary of Labor may investigate the complaint. If the Secretary of Labor finds there has been a violation, the Secretary of Labor may bring a civil action in an appropriate district court of the United States. The court has jurisdiction to restrain violations of subsection (a) and order appropriate relief, including reinstatement of the employee to the employee’s former position with back pay.
(d)Within 30 days after receiving a complaint under this section, the Secretary of Labor shall notify the complainant of the intended action on the complaint.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 8050746 App.:1506.Pub. L. 95–208, § 7, Dec. 13, 1977, 91 Stat. 1479. In subsection (a), the words “in any manner” and “to the Secretary or his agents” are omitted as unnecessary. The words “or a regulation prescribed under this chapter” are added for consistency.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

46 U.S.C. § 80507

Title 46 — Shipping

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73