Union Pacific has been ordered by the federal government to provide whistleblower rights information to its employees. The order came after the Occupational Safety & Health Administration ruled that a welder’s position was illegally abolished.

OSHA investigated the employee’s allegation that UP retaliated against him after he requested a lookout while performing work on adjacent railroad tracks and for asking for tools to make his work safer.

The investigation found that the track maintenance manager illegally abolished the welder position in Beverly, Iowa. That forced the employee to accept a similar position in Marshalltown, Iowa. OSHA says his daily commute was increased by 131 miles and it took him away from his family for extended periods of time.

In a nutshell, OSHA says you can’t do that.

UP has been ordered to reassign the employee to his former position, reimburse him for travel expenses and pay compensatory damages associated with the personal hardship following a whistleblower investigation.

Union Pacific and the employee can file an appeal to the U.S. Labor Department if they are unhappy with the results of the investigation.

For more information about employee whistleblower rights, click here.