Sherrill Benjamin

More than 30 years’ experience with the Department of Labor/Occupational Safety and Health Administration (DOL/OSHA) Whistleblower Protection Program (WPP). This WPP Career included serving as an Investigator, Trainer, Supervisor, Manager, Auditor, and ADR Coordinator. Sherrill successfully resolved well over 1,000 complaints filed with the Secretary under the twenty-two whistleblower statutes delegated to the Secretary of Labor by Congress.

Sherrill’s expertise and innovative leadership catapulted him to national recognition as a subject matter expert in employment, occupational, and workplace discrimination and retaliation as well as other statutorily protected employer and employee rights regulated by the Department of Labor (DOL), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Sherrill is credited with developing an organizational structure for the Regional WPP that provides a career path for program employees and succession preparedness for the WPP program. The new structure proved to increase accountability, reduce case backlogs and investigator caseloads, and improve investigation quality. The success of this organizational structure led OSHA to adopt and implement it nationwide.

Sherrill developed the DOL/OSHA/WPP ADR Program. The program broke new ground by providing early neutral resolution and mediation as a viable alternative to the investigative and litigation processes, reducing investigator caseloads, increasing the percentage of successful resolution of complaints filed with the Secretary of Labor, and significantly improving customer satisfaction with the WPP program. This program has also been adopted by the National Office and implemented nationwide.

Sherrill became the first Region V, Chicago, ADR Coordinator for the WPP. As the ADR Coordinator, Sherrill employed his expert knowledge of various ADR techniques, practices, and procedures, including early resolution, mediation, facilitated discussion, conciliation, negotiation, counseling, conflict resolution, and facilitative and evaluative negotiation methods and techniques, to resolve whistleblower complaints during any phase of the investigation process. As the ADR Coordinator, Sherrill successfully resolved well over 100 complaints in the ADR Program.

Sherrill played a pivotal role in developing two additional regional programs, which have been adapted by the National Office for implementation throughout the country. He created a WPP Audit Program to review, evaluate, and analyze the effectiveness and consistency of OSHA and State Plan WPPs. He also developed a formal WPP Appeal Program for Whistleblower complaints filed under §11(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (Act).

Finally, Sherrill served as a primary developer and trainer for the OSHA Training Institute (OTI) WPP for over 25 years, providing training for State and OSHA Whistleblower Investigators, Supervisors, and Managers. He has made countless presentations to labor and management stakeholders and provided Continuing Legal Education (CLE) for attorney-members of the American and State Bar Associations on Whistleblower laws and regulations. He also served as a primary resource, developer, editor, and trainer for revisions to the Whistleblower Investigations Manual and regulations applicable to the 22 Whistleblower Statutes delegated to the Secretary of Labor.

Sherrill is the proud recipient of several Secretary of Labor Special Achievement Awards, the Region V OSHA Champion of the Year Award, and a State of Minnesota Special Achievement Award as well as a U.S. Air Force Commendation Medal, U.S. Air Force Speech Award, and U.S. Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) of the Month Award.