When You Should Blow The Whistle And How To Protect Yourself

When we go to work for someone, whether a private company or public entity, we never expect that we will discover that our employer is engaging in illegal activity or acting in a way that is a breach of public trust. Discovering something like that can be hard on an employee because they know that reporting it to the authorities could mean losing their job and endangering their livelihood.

Fortunately, California has some of the strongest whistleblower protection laws in the country. If you need to report wrongdoing on the part of your employer, you may need a whistleblower attorney in Los Angeles. At Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers, we will work to ensure that you are protected from retaliation.

Illegal Activities

Is your employer doing something that needs to be reported? It doesn’t matter what industry you work in. Wrongdoing exists everywhere, and it shouldn’t be tolerated. Sometimes it is the brave actions of an employee that finally brings the wrongdoing to light and the perpetrators to justice.

Here are some common types of whistleblower cases:

• Tax Fraud – From political candidates to major corporations, many people think that they can evade paying taxes to the government. High income business and individuals should not be able to skirt the laws to avoid paying their fair share. Whistleblowers often come forward to bring these actions to light. The IRS sometimes even offers money to whistleblowers who report wrongdoing.
• Healthcare Fraud – When hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, and other medical related companies engage in healthcare fraud, it increases the cost of healthcare across the country. If these companies bill insurance companies for services they didn’t provide or charge for brand name items when they only dispense generics, they are making money illegally. Whistleblowers provide a valuable service by reporting this fraud.
• US Securities and Stocks – Whistleblowers often report when major corporations commit fraud that deceives their investors. Maybe they aren’t truthful when reporting earnings or are engaged in other manipulative behaviors to alter stock prices. Reporting this to the SEC can lead to a reward for the whistleblower.
• Illegal Dumping – If a company is putting dangerous materials into the environment, it is vital that someone come forward to report it.

These are just a few examples but are by no means the only type.

California Laws

When someone reports wrongdoing, they often attempt to do so within the company or organization first. They hope that whatever is going wrong will be fixed. Unfortunately, people who report wrongdoing are often threatened with termination, demotion, suspension, or worse, physically threatened.

Federal and state law can offer protection to whistleblowers. California has recently strengthened its whistleblower protection laws, so you can be sure that coming forward is the right thing to do.

What To Do

If you believe your employer is engaged in illegal activities, you may need a whistleblower protection attorney in Los Angeles before proceeding. Contact us at Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers by clicking here or calling us at 310-527-6994. We will help you through the process step by step so you and your family are protected.