The Conscientious Employee Protection Act, or CEPA (N.J.S.A. 34:19-1 et seq.), prevents an employer from retaliating against an employee for disclosing information about the employer that the employee believes is either a violation of a law, rule, or regulation or criminal or fraudulent.
A violation of a law, or rule or regulation includes any violation involving deception of, or misrepresentation to: any shareholder, investor, client, patient, customer, employee, former employee, retiree or pensioner of the employer or any governmental entity, or, in the case of an employee who is a licensed or certified health care professional, reasonably believes constitutes improper quality of patient care. CEPA also protects an employee who reports this information about another employer who has a business relationship with the employee’s employer.
Contact an Employment Whistleblower Attorney in Cases of Whistleblower Retaliation
A whistleblower, by definition, is a person who exposes illegal or unethical activity in an organization or business. The illegal activity may be against the employee, such as a sexual harassment case, or more general, like unlawful pollution practices. Whistleblower cases are important because they expose information about wrongdoing of which the public and law enforcement may be unaware. Whistleblower retaliation occurs when an employer punishes an employee for reporting a safety concern, or for reporting mismanagement, abuse of authority, or an illegal action in the workplace.
To prove retaliation for whistleblowing, you must show that you were fired or punished in the workplace because of your complaint or report. Timing is very important, because the case will be much stronger if there is very little time elapsed between your complaint and your employer’s negative reaction. If you’ve reported a violation of the law by your employer and you believe that you’ve suffered retaliation because of it, you should speak with an experienced employment whistleblower attorney in Philadelphia or Mount Laurel, NJ to discuss your legal options.
Employment Whistleblower attorneys specialize in the laws that protect whistleblowers
The federal government and many states have laws protecting whistleblowers from retaliation for reporting violations against their employer. The False Claims Act qui tam provision is one of the strongest whistleblower protection laws in the United States, according to the National Whistleblower Center. However, it has many complicated components. Contact an experienced Philadelphia employment whistleblower attorney to help you understand the process and your rights as a whistleblower. A whistleblower lawsuit can take a long time; It is not uncommon for a case to remain pending for many years while the case is investigated completely. As part of the settlement, your employment whistleblower attorney may be able to negotiate relief on your behalf, including reinstatement, back pay, compensation for litigation costs, and attorneys’ fees. State laws may offer more protection than federal law. Contact our Philadelphia employment whistleblower attorneys at 215-694-8885 to learn more.
