California Lawyers Protect the Rights of Whistleblowers
San Bernardino represents parties in workplace retaliation claims
Most workplace misconduct occurs when regulatory authorities are not watching, and state law encourages employees to raise a concern when they are victimized or when they notice illegal activity. Granowitz, White & Weber in San Bernardino stands up for the rights of whistleblowers and informs them about the laws that exist to safeguard their right to speak up. Our firm represents employees and employers in cases of alleged retaliation against employees who made reports of improper activity.
Laws to protect whistleblowers
Victims of discrimination, harassment, wage theft and other forms of mistreatment at work have the legal right under California law to make complaints without fear of reprisal. This protection extends to other situations where an employee reports that something is wrong on the job, such as safety hazards, fraudulent activities or illegal financial transactions. Even with federal and state statutes in place to guard against retaliation, many workers are understandably hesitant to speak out about conduct that is illegal or against public policy. An attorney at our firm will explain in detail how the law safeguards your right to discuss what you’ve seen without worrying about whether you’ll be fired, demoted or punished in some other way.
Activities that can trigger legal protection against retaliation
As an employee, you have legal whistleblower status if you report a legal violation or unsafe workplace condition to the proper authority. This might be a supervisory employee, a government agency or the state Attorney General’s Whistleblower Hotline. Even if turns out that your employer or a government authority was already aware of the misconduct that you report, you still have legal protection. As long as you have a reasonable belief that a problem exists, your employer cannot retaliate against you, regardless of whether your report ultimately proves to be founded in fact. Under the federal False Claims Act and its California equivalent, whistleblowers who are aware of fraud against the government are authorized to file a qui tam lawsuit, which allows them to collect a portion of any damages recovered from the party committing the fraud.
Deadlines that apply to whistleblower actions
There are several different types of whistleblower actions, each with their own time limits for initiating them. Reports to the state’s Labor Commissioner usually must be made within six months of the relevant incident. Whatever your particular situation entails, the best way to preserve your legal options is to contact a qualified employment lawyer as soon as possible after noticing a violation. We will advise you of the relevant statute of limitations and then outline the process that must be followed in order to hold your employer accountable. Even if you believe the filing period for your potential whistleblower claim has expired, there are instances when it can be extended, so you should not hesitate to reach out to learn about your options.
Contact a California employment lawyer for a consultation about whistleblower rights
Granowitz, White & Weber handles whistleblower protection cases on behalf of employees and businesses. From our office in San Bernardino, we assist clients throughout California. Please call 909-890-1717 or contact us online to schedule a consultation with an experienced employment law attorney.
