Ensuring Employees Aren’t Punished for Reporting Illegal Conduct
If you reported your employer’s illegal or unfair conduct, it is against the law for your employer to retaliate against you as a result. It’s not your fault that you noticed illegal activities in the workplace and refused to participate in or ignore them. You deserve to keep your job and not worry about retaliation, so you should get legal help from a California whistleblower attorney if you’re being treated unfairly at work.
When you call Odell Law, PLC for a free consultation, you’ll meet with a caring, knowledgeable whistleblower attorney who will advise you on your claim. Retaliating against an employee for reporting unlawful or unjust activity is illegal, so you might be entitled to compensation if you can prove retaliation by your employer. Contact us to learn more about how the whistleblower laws in California can protect you.
Are You Considered a Whistleblower?
To benefit from this state’s whistleblower protections, you must prove that you fit the definition. Fortunately, there are many ways to qualify as a whistleblower, as this describes anyone who reports their employer for engaging in unethical or illegal activity or harming someone. Whether you work for a private company or a government agency, you could be entitled to whistleblower protections after reporting your employer for wrongdoing.
In most cases, the reports from whistleblowers are about illegal activity. This might include fraud, workplace discrimination against an employee in a protected class, sexual harassment, or wage violations. However, in some whistleblower cases, the misconduct reported by the employee involves unsafe working conditions or similar workplace issues.
No matter what safety or legal violations you reported, you shouldn’t face repercussions at work. Whistleblower laws protect employees like you from dealing with retaliation in the workplace, so we encourage you to talk to our whistleblower attorneys to determine if you have a case. If so, you might be entitled to compensation.
What Are Examples of Whistleblower Retaliation?
To recover damages for your whistleblower retaliation case, you must have evidence that your employer’s behavior toward you worsened after you reported them. This can support your accusation that the adverse actions toward you are due to whistleblowing.
Some of the most common retaliatory actions whistleblowers might experience include:
- Wrongful termination
- Being turned down for promotions and raises
- Not being invited to team-building activities or meetings
- Being demoted
- Suffering harassment at work
- Noticing a reduction in hours
- Getting paid less than before
- Being turned down for paid time off
- Losing necessary or helpful work credentials
- Being told to perform undesirable work duties
- Getting transferred to another location
In short, if your employer’s treatment is noticeably different than before you made the report, it’s likely due to retaliation. You should not suffer job loss, demotion, or a hostile work environment because your employer is upset that you reported illegal activities. A skilled whistleblower lawyer can review your situation to determine if you should take legal action for retaliation, so contact our Beverly Hills, CA law firm to get the answers you need.
What Should You Do If You Suspect Employer Retaliation?
Continuing to work at a job where you’re being harassed, threatened, or treated unfairly can take a toll on your mental and emotional health. This is why you shouldn’t ignore employer retaliation. You deserve to feel safe at work, and that’s unlikely to happen when your employer retaliates against you regularly.
This is why you should seek legal representation from Los Angeles whistleblower attorneys who have successfully handled retaliation cases. You may be able to recover monetary damages that allow you to leave your hostile workplace without worrying about how you’ll pay your bills until you find a new job.
Similarly, if you were wrongfully terminated after reporting a violation, filing a whistleblower claim can get you compensation for lost wages and benefits. This way, you’re not suffering financially because your employer broke the law. A Los Angeles whistleblower attorney can help you pursue the compensation you deserve after wrongful termination, so contact our law firm.
When you meet with an attorney at our law office, you should bring evidence of workplace retaliation. Emails, letters, or other documents that show a sudden change in treatment at work after the report can help your case. For example, if you suddenly started getting negative performance reviews after you reported a violation, comparing these to the positive reviews and awards you used to earn in the same position can strengthen your claim. Getting witness statements from coworkers and supervisors can also help.
At our Beverly Hills, CA law firm, we believe when an employee reports fraud, discrimination, and other forms of misconduct, they should not have to face retaliation. If an employer violates state or federal law and gets caught, taking it out on the employee is unacceptable and illegal. Employees are entitled to legal protection, and skilled attorneys will ensure they get it. Contact us to learn more about whistleblower claims.
Should You Hire Whistleblower Retaliation Lawyers in Beverly Hills?
At Odell Law, PLC, we have been representing employees in Los Angeles legal claims for years. Our goal is to ensure employees are protected from wrongful termination, unfair treatment, harassment, and other workplace issues. If you have complaints about how your employer treated you after your whistleblower report, contact our Southern California law office for legal representation.
When you come to us for guidance from caring attorneys, we’ll investigate your claim and tell you what protections you’re entitled to after whistleblowing in California. We understand you likely don’t have money for legal fees right now, so we’ll handle your whistleblowing retaliation case on a contingency fee basis that ensures you don’t pay anything until you get compensation. If you’re ready to talk to a whistleblower lawyer about your claim, call us at 949-771-8173.