Whistleblower Retaliation Attorney San Francisco

Employers who have employees who speak up when they know of illegal activities taking place at work should consider themselves lucky. Sadly, many do not. Instead of a reward or praise, employees who report wrongs in the workplace suffer harassment, unwanted transfers, or termination. 

Despite what they think, employers do not have the upper hand in these situations. Many act as if they do, but your legal rights trump their cover-up of illegal activities. Although, you may need assistance to prove this to them. If you blew the whistle on unlawful activity such as fraud or corruption in your workplace and were faced with negative consequences, we encourage you to contact an experienced whistleblower retaliation attorney in San Francisco.

Who is a Whistleblower?

Under California law, a whistleblower is an employee who gives information to the government or a law enforcement agency. The information they provide is related to at least one of the following:

• A violation of a state or federal statute
• A breach or refusal of a state or federal rule or regulation
• In reference to employee safety or health, unsafe working conditions, work practices in the employee’s employment or place of employment

A whistleblower reports illegal behaviors such as:

• Sexual harassment or discrimination
• Sexual assault or battery
• Wage and hour violations
• Fraud
• Other conduct that the employee believes to be unlawful

What Employer Actions are Considered Retaliation?

Whistleblowers are protected under the California Whistleblower Protection Act. This act protects each employee who files a complaint from being retaliated against by their state employer for filing the complaint. 

Employers or parties involved with the employer who takes action against an employee because they were a whistleblower can face legal ramifications. Whistleblower retaliation includes measures such as:

• Harassment
• Intimidation
• Threats
• Negative evaluations
• Discrimination
• Demotions 
• Denial of a promotion
• Change or removal of benefits
• Change of job or shift assignments 
• Discipline
• Negative evaluations
• Unlawful termination

Whistleblowers who find themselves facing these types of retaliatory actions or others should meet with a whistleblower retaliation lawyer San Francisco as soon as possible to find out what their rights are under the law. When you pursue your legal rights, you not only hold your employer accountable, but you also could receive compensation for your damages.

Even if it turns out that the whistleblower’s complaint was unfounded, an employer is not legally allowed to take any retaliatory action against the employee. Employees who are involved in an investigation or give statements concerning the whistleblower’s report are also protected from retaliation. 

Count on a Whistleblower Retaliation Attorney San Francisco

If you suspect that you are the target of whistleblower retaliation by your employer or if you have questions about your protections under California whistleblower law, do not hesitate to reach out to a reliable whistleblower retaliation attorney in San Francisco to protect your rights. 

At Minnis & Smallets, our extensive experience across the range of employment law enables us to recognize valid whistleblower retaliation cases and see them through to justice. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can help.

Contact our skillful employment attorneys at Minnis & Smallets today for your legal consultation.