The state of California has clearly defined laws that protect whistleblowers from retaliation by their employers. Essentially, a whistleblower is a person – usually an employee – that reports illegal, unethical, or unsafe conduct by the organization they work for or belong to. As such, they are vulnerable to punitive measures by their employer, which is why California’s whistleblower protection laws are so important.
Our skilled employment lawyers are here to help if you were terminated from your employment for whistleblowing. It takes tremendous courage to speak out against your employer when there is illegal activity in the workplace. Whether you are thinking of filing a complaint or you’ve already blown the whistle, it’s essential to understand your rights under the state and federal government’s whistleblower laws.
Federal Laws that Protect Whistleblowers
Under the federal government, there are various laws that are designed to protect whistleblowers from retaliation. This includes the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which offers protection against termination and other acts of retaliation by employers. Please note that even if a court rules that the employer was not in violation of any laws, the employee cannot be fired for the whistleblowing on what they believed to be illicit or fraudulent activity.
You also have whistleblower protection under the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, commonly referred to as OSHA. This agency is in charge of enforcing health and safety regulations in the workplace and safeguarding workers when they report violations. Thus, if you reported unsafe work conditions at your job, your employer is forbidden from retaliatory actions, like firing, suspending, or demoting you from your position.
For more information on federal statutes that can serve as the basis for a whistleblower lawsuit, schedule a free consultation by contacting our office.
California Whistleblower Laws
California has its own set of laws that whistleblowers can rely on when they are subjected to unfair treatment by their employer. These laws protect employees from punitive actions when they report illegal conduct within the workplace. They also offer protection for workers who refuse to participate in activities at their job that violate state or federal laws.
Workers whose whistleblower rights are violated have several options when it comes to legal action, including a qui tam lawsuit. This lawsuit, filed under the California False Claims Act, provides compensation to employees when they report illegal activity by their employer, especially in cases where the conduct involves misappropriation of government funds.
A common scenario that allows for a quit tam lawsuit is Medicaid or Medicare fraud by an employer, or any type of overbilling for services / products provided by a government entity. If the claimant is successful, they will receive a compensation award of up to 3 times the monetary losses resulting from the unlawful activity.
It’s an unfortunate reality that employees often receive pushback from their employer when they do the right thing. Employers can lash out in many ways, like denying work promotions, cutting hours or wages, encouraging harassment of the employee, and termination of employment. In short, your employer has the ability to make your life extremely difficult, but you have the power to fight back under the laws in California, which we can help you with here at California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group.
A lawyer with decades of experience in workplace retaliation will ensure that justice is served on your behalf. Based on the circumstances of why you were fired, you may have grounds to sue your employer and receive monetary damages for lost wages or reinstatement of your job, emotional distress, and damage to your professional reputation.
How a Whistleblower Attorney can Help
Highlighting an employer’s unlawful conduct and holding them accountable is the reason you blew the whistle, but now you are facing the consequences of workplace retaliation, such as wrongful termination. In these situations, legal representation from a lawyer is critical to upholding your rights and being compensated for your monetary losses.
The employee rights violation lawyers of CLLEAG have a proven track record of successful outcomes in cases of illegal termination. We can also protect those who are thinking of blowing the whistle and bringing attention to an employer’s wrongdoing. You can count on us to build a robust and comprehensive claim and fight for every penny you are owed for being fired under unlawful circumstances.
Zero Fee Guarantee from Day One
All clients at California Labor Law Employment Attorneys Group receive the Zero Fee Guarantee from the moment they contact us. This is a contingency fee system where you pay $0 if you wish to hire us after a free initial case review or second opinion consultation. Once we obtain your settlement from an employment rights violation claim, a portion of your payment will be deducted for legal fees. This is our only form of payment, so you pay us $0 for the cost of legal services if we fail to win your case.
We look forward to hearing your story and bringing you justice if you were wrongfully terminated for whistleblowing.
