Exelon settles worker discrimination case with NRC
Date: 07-Oct-02
Country: USA
An NRC investigation found that an Exelon manager deliberately discriminated against the employee on Aug. 25, 2000, by not picking him for a new job.
"The investigation found that the manager had based the hiring decision on the employee's raising an internal safety issue," at the Byron nuclear plant in Illinois, the NRC said in a statement.
The worker was later laid off as part of a company reorganization.
NRC regulations bar companies licensed by the agency to retaliate against workers for raising plant safety issues.
The ex-employee was concerned that a "chilled environment" existed at a department at the Byron plant which might stop workers from raising safety issues because of possible discrimination by managers, the NRC said.
Exelon offered a settlement proposal to the NRC and agreed to admit a non-willful violation of NRC job protection rules.
The company also agreed to train senior officers and managers on employee protection rules and revise training programs on preventing discrimination against workers who bring up safety issues at Exelon's 21 nuclear reactors.
Jack Skolds, president and chief nuclear officer of Exelon, said the event was an isolated one and Exelon "is a place where employees can openly and honestly raise issues."
The NRC also issued a "confirmatory order" that makes the terms of Exelon's agreement legally enforceable as NRC rules.
Exelon Nuclear is a unit of Chicago-based utility Exelon Corp. .