§ 52.5 Employee protection.
(a) Discrimination by a Commission licensee, holder of a standard design approval, an applicant for a license, standard design certification, or standard design approval, a contractor or subcontractor of a Commission licensee, holder of a standard design approval, applicant for a license, standard design certification, or standard design approval, against an employee for engaging in certain protected activities is prohibited. Discrimination includes discharge and other actions that relate to compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment. The protected activities are established in Section 211 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, as amended, and in general are related to the administration or enforcement of a requirement imposed under the Atomic Energy Act or the Energy Reorganization Act.
(1) The protected activities include but are not limited to:
(i) Providing the Commission or his or
her employer information about alleged
violations of either of the statutes
named in the introductory text of
paragraph (a) of this section or possible
violations of requirements imposed
under either of those statutes;
(ii) Refusing to engage in any practice
made unlawful under either of the
statutes named in the introductory text
of paragraph (a) of this section or under
these requirements if the employee has
identified the alleged illegality to the
employer;
(iii) Requesting the Commission to institute action against his or her employer for the administration or enforcement of these requirements;
(iv) Testifying in any Commission proceeding, or before Congress, or at any Federal or State proceeding regarding any provision (or proposed provision) of either of the statutes named in the introductory text of paragraph (a) of this section; and (v) Assisting or participating in, or is about to assist or participate in, these activities.
(2) These activities are protected even
if no formal proceeding is actually
initiated as a result of the employee
assistance or participation.
(3) This section has no application to
any employee alleging discrimination
prohibited by this section who, acting
without direction from his or her
employer (or the employer's agent),
deliberately causes a violation of any
requirement of the Energy
Reorganization Act of 1974, as
amended, or the Atomic Energy Act of
1954, as amended.
(b) Any employee who believes that he or she has been discharged or otherwise discriminated against by any person for engaging in protected activities specified in paragraph (a)(1) of this section may seek a remedy for the discharge or discrimination through an administrative proceeding in the Department of Labor. The administrative proceeding must be initiated within 180 days after an alleged violation occurs. The employee may do this by filing a complaint alleging the violation with the Department of Labor, Employment Standards Administration, Wage and Hour Division. The Department of Labor may order reinstatement, back pay, and compensatory damages.
(c) A violation of paragraph (a), (e), or (f) of this section by a Commission licensee, a holder of a standard design approval, an applicant for a Commission license, standard design certification, or a standard design approval, or a contractor or subcontractor of a Commission licensee, holder of a standard design approval, or any applicant may be grounds for—
(1) Denial, revocation, or suspension of the license or standard design approval;
(2) Withdrawal or revocation of a proposed or final standard design certification;
(3) Imposition of a civil penalty on the
licensee, holder of a standard design
approval, or applicant (including an
applicant for a standard design certification under this part following
Commission adoption of final design
certification rule) or a contractor or
subcontractor of the licensee, holder of
a standard design approval, or
applicant.
(4) Other enforcement action.
(d) Actions taken by an employer, or others, which adversely affect an employee may be predicated upon nondiscriminatory grounds. The prohibition applies when the adverse action occurs because the employee has engaged in protected activities. An employee's engagement in protected activities does not automatically render him or her immune from discharge or discipline for legitimate reasons or from adverse action dictated by nonprohibited considerations.
(e)(1) Each licensee, each holder of a
standard design approval, and each
applicant for a license, standard design
certification, or standard design
approval, shall prominently post the
revision of NRC Form 3, "Notice to
Employees," referenced in 10 CFR
19.11(e). This form must be posted at
locations sufficient to permit employees
protected by this section to observe a
copy on the way to or from their place
of work. Premises must be posted not
later than thirty (30) days after an
application is docketed and remain
posted while the application is pending
before the Commission, during the term
of the license, standard design
certification, or standard design
approval under 10 CFR part 52, and for
30 days following license termination or
the expiration or termination of the
standard design certification or standard
design approval under 10 CFR part 52.
(2) Copies of NRC Form 3 may be obtained by writing to the Regional Administrator of the appropriate U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regional Office listed in appendix D to part 20 of this chapter, by calling (301) 415–7232, via e-mail to forms@nrc.gov, or by visiting the NRC's Web site at http://www.nrc.gov and selecting forms from the index found on the NRC's home page.
(f) No agreement affecting the
compensation, terms, conditions, or
privileges of employment, including an
agreement to settle a complaint filed by
an employee with the Department of
Labor under Section 211 of the Energy
Reorganization Act of 1974, as
amended, may contain any provision
which would prohibit, restrict, or
otherwise discourage an employee from
participating in protected activity as
defined in paragraph (a)(1) of this
section including, but not limited to,
providing information to the NRC or to
his or her employer on potential
violations or other matters within NRC's
regulatory responsibilities.
(g) Part 19 of this chapter sets forth
requirements and regulatory provisions
applicable to licensees, holders of a
standard design approval, applicants for
a license, standard design certification,
or standard design approval, and
contractors or subcontractors of a
Commission licensee, or holder of a
standard design approval, and are in
addition to the requirements in this
section.
[72 FR 49520, Aug. 28, 2007; 72 FR 63974, Nov. 14, 2007]