Whistleblowers Were Awarded For Their Service

It takes incredible courage for an employee to come forward and let people know when their employer is doing something dangerous or illegal.

The Office of Special Counsel recently named three TSA employees as winners of its Public Servants of the Year award for blowing the whistle on “systemic deficiencies and lax airport security protocols that were largely dismissed by TSA leadership.”

Those three employees have been through so much over the last few years since they came forward. When they made their concerns known, the agency blamed them for poor leadership and reassigned them well away from their homes. They were punished, as is the case for many whistleblowers.

What Happens

What are some common types of whistleblower cases?

Tax Fraud

Whether an employee works for a corporation or a political candidate, there are often times when employees discover that the people they work for are taking steps to avoid paying state and federal taxes. Often, this is only discovered thanks to whistleblowers. Thanks to those who courageously speak up, the IRS can ensure that everyone pays their fair share of taxes and they even offer money rewards to the people who report wrongdoing.

Healthcare Fraud

Many healthcare corporations engage in healthcare fraud. This can include billing for services that are not given to patients and overbilling for medications and tools used. Sometimes, healthcare professionals will bill a patient’s insurance for brand-name medicines when they actually gave them generics. This is illegal and causes health care costs to rise for everyone. Whistleblowers can help hold the perpetrators accountable.

Illegal Dumping of Chemicals

We have heard the stories of major factories illegally dumping materials and chemicals into the ground or rivers. Not only is this a violation of the law, but it can cause major health consequences to those living nearby. Chemicals can get into the water table and cause major health issues. These violations have to be reported to the activity stops.

What You Can Do

These are just a few examples of whistleblower cases, but there are many more.

The three TSA employees we discussed at the beginning of this article obtained settlements of about one million dollars in compensatory damages and a return to comparable assignments. Their story has a happy ending, though they had to go through too much to get there.

They could not have done it without legal assistance. It takes incredible bravery to come forward. Many people do so know that they may lose their jobs and be unable to support their families.

If you have information about wrongdoing or negligent behavior on the part of your employer, we strongly suggest seeking legal assistance before coming forward. At Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers, we understand state and federal whistleblower’s laws and will work to make sure you and your family are protected. There is no reason you should suffer financially for doing the right thing.

We know the thought of whistleblowing can be scary, but we will help. When you need a whistleblower attorney in Los Angeles, contact us by clicking here or calling us at 310-527-6994.