What protection does California law provide to whistleblowers?

Posted on February 25, 2017 | Firm News,Retaliation

When most employees report for the start of the workday they want nothing more than to spend their shift performing their assigned duties to the best of their abilities, a feat made possible in large part by their employer. Indeed, employee success ultimately hinges on an employer’s willingness to provide the necessary resources, support structure and viable working conditions.

What happens, however, when an employee learns that their employer is violating either state or federal law, essentially leaving them unable to perform these assigned duties, and, worse, torn between the need to report this malfeasance and the fear of workplace retaliation?

As distressing as this can be, it’s imperative for those in this situation to understand that they are granted what is known as whistleblower protection under the California Labor Code.

Any discussion of the extent of this protection, however, must be prefaced by a brief examination of who is covered by the law and under what circumstances.

We’ll continue this discussion in our next post, examining the scope of statutory protection and what types of conduct could be classified as retaliation.

If you have reason to believe your employer has retaliated against you for reporting fraud, consider speaking with a skilled legal professional to learn more about your options for seeking justice.