Employment Law Attorneys in Orange County

Understanding Whistleblower Laws in California

"Whistleblowing" is an act of self-sacrifice that occurs when an employee risks their employment security by alerting authorities to the illegal or unethical practices of their employer. This may include revealing a company's discriminatory hiring practices, unethical accounting, safety violations, or mismanagement. Those who speak out against their employers for the sake of doing the right thing may risk penalization by their employer. This is why California employees seeking to expose the wrongdoing of their employer should contact Orange County whistleblower attorneys.

A whistleblower attorney from our Orange County law firm can help you prepare for potential retaliation and help you protect yourself and your career.

If you have self-sacrificed in this way, contact our Orange County whistleblower lawyers by calling (888) 427-8064 today to discuss your options!

Protecting Your Rights Under the California Whistleblower Protection Act

California law and the federal Whistleblower Protection Act protects employees that "blow the whistle" on their employers. Despite this protection, employer retaliation against whistleblowers still frequently occurs. Retaliation may include demotions, pay decrease and even loss of employment. An experienced Orange County whistleblower attorney can inform you of your rights and, should you need to take legal action against your employer, help protect your career and livelihood.

If you have suffered economically or physically as the result of blowing the whistle on your employer's illegal practices, you may be able to take legal action against your employer. You may be able to seek reinstatement, compensation for lost wages and benefits and even attorney fees. Only experienced Orange County whistleblower attorneys can tell you what damages for which you may be able to seek compensation.

Common Violations Reported by Courageous Whistleblowers

Whistleblowing covers a wide range of safety and legal violations. However, there are some common violations that our Orange County whistleblower attorneys see. These common whistleblower cases include:

Fraud: When a company or individual deceives someone else for personal or financial gain, they have committed fraud. This can include crimes such as over-billing, price fixing, billing for unperformed services, concealing safety violations, or falsifying credentials. If a person or entity commits fraud against the government, there can be serious consequences. The False Claims Act (FCA) holds fraudsters liable for treble damages plus an inflation linked fine if a person submits false claims to the government. The FCA also allows whistleblowers to file their own lawsuits on the government’s behalf (called qui tam suits). If the qui tam suit proves successful, the whistleblower receives a portion of the government’s recovery.

Discrimination: If an employer treats an employee negatively based on their race, age, sex, gender, nationality, or other protected classification, then the employer may be discriminating. For example, the use of a protected class to unfairly determine who receives a promotion, certain benefits or a job is a type of discrimination.

Sexual Harassment: Whistleblower reports can be the result of experienced or witnessed sexual harassment. This type of harassment can include obscene remarks of a sexual nature, unwanted sexual advances or quid pro quo. Both federal and state laws prohibit this type of harassment.

Corruption: Legally, the US and California consider bribes, fraud, embezzlement, and kickbacks as forms of corruption. However, these illegal activities are merely a sampling of corrupt actions. 

Understanding and Combating Whistleblower Retaliation

Whistleblower retaliation happens when an employer penalizes an employee for reporting the employer’s adverse or illegal actions. It does not matter if the employee reports their employer internally or to a regulatory agency, the act of reporting a violation is protected by law. Forms of retaliation include but are not limited to:

• Demotions
• Removal of duties
• Withholding benefits
• Wrongful Termination

Your Rights to Compensation for Employer Retaliation

The damages you can recover after an employer retaliates against you includes:

• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Punitive damages
• Attorney’s fees

To learn more about the retaliation damages entitled to you by reviewing our retaliation page.

Consult with a Trusted Whistleblower Attorney in Orange County

Sexual Harassment Employment Attorneys have been representing employee rights in Orange County for many years. We take great pride in representing those who sacrifice their employment security to do the right thing. Our firm possesses a rich tradition of expertise, excellence, and positive results. We take the time to make sure our clients understand exactly what legal action will entail. Our attorneys provide clients with the advice they need to make informed decisions about how they would like to proceed with their claim.

Clients always come first at Sexual Harassment Employment Attorneys, and it shows with our strong commitment to personal service. A whistleblower attorney in Orange County should be able to help you understand if your employer's actions against you were within the bounds of the law or not, and tell you whether or not you have a strong case to pursue.