Wells Fargo told to rehire whistle-blower

LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Labor Department has ordered Wells Fargo & Co. to reinstate another former employee who alleged she was fired after reporting part of the widespread fraud that engulfed the bank in a major scandal.

The whistle-blower, a former branch manager in Pomona, Calif., will be reinstated and paid $577,500 in back wages, damages and other compensation, the agency said, based on an investigation by the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The Labor Department does not release the names of whistle-blowers.

San Francisco-based Wells Fargo issued a statement saying that, while “we take seriously the concerns of current and former team members,” the ruling announced Friday “is a preliminary order and to date there has been no hearing on the merits of this case. We disagree