Whistleblower laws protect employees who report wrongful conduct

In a recent whistleblower case, a city fire inspector was awarded $1.5M after she was allegedly fired from her job after complaining about the safety of renovations at the facility where she was to work. The fire inspector asserted that her complaints led to her termination, while the city argued that she was terminated due to her social media postings.

This case highlights the various actions that can form the basis of a whistleblower lawsuit. Whistleblower laws were designed to protect and promote workers coming forward when they see wrongdoing, without fear of repercussions. Whistleblower suits may arise from a wide variety of situations such your boss asking you to do something illegal, or being asked to turn a blind eye to inappropriate and potentially illegal conduct. You may be placed in an uncomfortable position – having to choose between saying nothing, and someone suffering injuries, or the government being exposed to fraud. You wonder if you risk getting in trouble for saying something, or losing your job if you do. To help protect workers, and facilitate the exposure of wrongful conduct, many federal and state laws whistleblower laws have been enacted. These include Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) protections for whistleblowers who report certain types of unsafe conditions in the workplace, Qui Tam or False Claim Act provisions that entitle you to a portion of the recovery If you witness your employer cheating the government and you blow the whistle, and Sarbanes-Oxley protections if you blow the whistle on certain types of securities fraud.

For more information or to Learn more about your rights, please contact our experienced Atlanta whistleblower attorneys at Buckley Bala Wilson Mew LLP for an immediate, confidential case evaluation.