Whistleblower Retaliation Lawyers
Our experienced employment law attorneys have handled various different types of discrimination and whistleblower claims for decades. Contact us today for free no risk consultation.
No person should be discriminated or retaliated against for speaking up about Injustice in the workplace. Our whistleblower workplace retaliation attorneys are available 24/7 via phone and email to listen to your claims and determine whether you have a valid claim for whistleblower retaliation. If you have been discriminated against or retaliated against (workplace retaliation) by your employer for speaking up, you are eligible to receive compensation from your employer.
Our whistleblower retaliation lawyers have decades of experience representing victims who have had their rights taken advantage of because they have spoken up about a certain injustice in the workplace. Our experienced attorneys offer free no risk consultations to determine the different types of compensation you could receive for your injury.
It could be very stressful when you are retaliated against for speaking up about the truth. That is why we are here to represent your employment law claims against an employer who may retaliate against you for speaking up.
What is a Whistleblower?
A whistleblower is someone who reports any type of fraud or corruption in the workplace to some other third-party in order to rectify the wrongdoing. A whistleblower is usually someone who works from the specific company that they are reporting fraud against. In certain circumstances, employers retaliate and discriminate against whistleblowers who have spoken up about the fraud or corruption that is happening at work. However, several federal and state laws are in place that protect whistleblowers from being retaliated against.
There are whistleblowers in almost any industry. For example, in healthcare facilities, whistleblowers have come forward to talk about patient abuse. In situations involving the pharmaceutical industry, whistleblowers have come forward describing the different types of malpractice. Whistleblower actions are the most common in the finance sector of America. Usually, whistleblower claims explain how financial professionals exploit their clients or make misrepresentations to their clients.
Whistleblower Protections in California
The California Labor Code prevents employers from discriminating against any employee:
- Who testifies in a hearing or investigation against their employer
- Provides information to a public body during the hearing or investigation
- Discloses information to a government or law enforcement agency
Examples of violations a whistleblower could report on include:
- Safety regulations in the workplace. For example, if your employer fails to have any safety practices or safety training protocols, you may be able to report them to a public authority
- Antitrust violations
- Stock and securities violations
- Environmental law violations
- Human Resources violations
The California Labor Code protects whistleblowers who report on any of the above violations. If you have been discriminated or retaliated against for reporting these violations, contact our attorneys today.
Federal Law
Federal statutes address whistleblower protections from retaliation by employers. For example, the different federal laws that address whistleblower protections include the Federal False Claims Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and Dodd-Frank.
California False Claims Act
California has a whistleblower statute titled California False Claims Act. This is meant to prevent contractors from submitting any fraudulent invoices for their goods and / or services. This act prevents anyone from knowingly submitting a false record that is approved or paid by the government. This is considered defrauding the government.
California Labor Code Section 1102.5
The most common whistleblower statute that addresses the protections whistleblowers have is under the California Labor Code. This labor code prohibits any retaliation against an employee who reports information that the employee reasonably believes is a violation of the law. The employer then cannot engage in any type of adverse action against the employee for speaking up.
What if my employer was not involved in any wrongdoing?
If you reported against your employer for a violation of the law, and it turns out that your employer did not violate any laws, your employer still cannot retaliate against you, and you still have whistleblower protections. As long as your suspicion was reasonable when you’re reporting it to a third party, you will be protected under the whistleblower statutes.
Examples of Whistleblower Retaliation
There are several different types of retaliation employers can engage in. These examples include:
- Firing the whistleblower
- Denying a raise to the whistleblower
- Increasing the whistleblower’s workload
- Denying the whistleblower a promotion
- Submitting negative performance evaluations
- Disciplining the whistleblower
- Failing to pay the whistleblower
If you have experienced any of the above acts of retaliation, contact our whistleblower retaliation attorneys today to determine how you could receive compensation for these injuries.
What type of compensation could I receive for my whistleblower retaliation lawsuit?
Victims of whistleblower retaliation can receive various different types of compensation, including:
- Back pay
- Front to pay
- Attorney’s fees
- Emotional distress damages
- Reinstatement to their job
- Punitive damages: this is only awarded in certain circumstances where bad faith is revealed by the employer. To determine if you qualify for punitive damages, contact our top-rated attorneys today.
Nevada False Claims Act
Nevada also has their own separate whistleblower law that allows whistleblowers to file a lawsuit against those who had been retaliated against by their employer.
Whistleblowers who suffer employment retaliation because of their whistleblowing could receive:
- Two times the amount of back pay
- Interest on their back pay
- Compensation for special damages
- Reinstatement at work
When should I file my whistleblower retaliation claim in California?
Undo the California Labor Code, a general whistleblower protection states that the whistleblower has 3 years to file a lawsuit from the date of the incident of retaliation.
Whistleblowers also have 6 months to file a complaint with the California Labor Commissioner. If you file your lawsuit too late, you could risk losing your entire claim. That is why it is very important to hire an experienced attorney immediately if you suspect you have been a victim of workplace retaliation.
Contact our attorneys today. Don’t wait until it may be too late. It is very important that you follow your whistleblower retaliation claim immediately to prevent any potential statute of limitations issues.
How can our whistleblower retaliation attorneys help?
- Our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, which means that you do not have to pay for our attorneys unless we win a settlement or judgment in your favor
- Our attorneys gather as much evidence as possible of the retaliation and discrimination in order to have a strong claim against the at-fault party
- Our attorneys have strong relationships with top employment experts in California and Nevada
- Our attorneys have decades of experience litigating claims for our clients, and are not afraid of taking the claim to court if need be
- Our attorneys communicate with the at fault party, so you do not have to worry about responding or communicating with them
Our attorneys will fight for your rights. We are well versed with both California and Nevada labor codes, along with the Federal Fair Labor and Standards Act. To get started, contact our attorneys in California or Nevada today.
Other Practices
Other than whistleblower retaliation claims, our employment law attorneys also handle other types of claims including:
