Whistleblower & Retaliation

What is Whistleblowing?

A whistleblower is an employee that exposes any kind of information or activity that is illegal, dishonest, or not correct within a company or organization. If you have reported a wrongdoing occurring in your workplace and believe you have been retaliated against, our Florida Employment Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can provide you with the expert legal services you need to file a retaliation case.

There are many state and federal laws that encourage employees to blow the whistle on illegal practices and protects them from retaliation when they choose to report an issue. If you believe you have been retaliated against by your employer for whistleblowing, please contact Whittel & Melton today – 866-608-5529.

Did You Know You Are Protected From Retaliation?

Labor laws protect current and past employees from being retaliated against by an employer. An employer cannot seek revenge on an employee for partaking in a legally protected activity, such as:

Opposition: Taking an opposite stance against your employer when you believe that they have acted in an unlawful way through some form of discrimination or harassment.

Participation: Actively helping in an investigation, lawsuit or hearing about the illegal conduct or actions of your employer.

Proving Retaliation

You do have to prove your case that your employer retaliated against you in some fashion. In order to prove your employer retaliation case, you have to prove the following elements:

• You participated in a protected activity listed above
• You were wrongfully terminated, demoted, etc. by your employer or they acted wrongfully against you in some manner
• You must demonstrate how participating in the protected activity adversely affected your job

We advise saving any documentation regarding retaliation and keep track of pertinent details from before and after you made a complaint. The more information you have to back your claim up, the better case you have. Evidence is everything in these cases, and even if you think you are lacking key information, we can help by launching an investigation of our own to uncover the truth to help you achieve a successful outcome.

What Constitutes Retaliation?

As a whistleblower, you are protected from retaliation by your employer. Retaliation embodies many different acts, including, but not limited to:

• Refusing to Promote
• Transfers
• Demotion
• Poor Performance Evaluations
• Discipline
• Discharge
• Reduction in Hours or Pay

We Don’t Like Bullies

Workplace bullies are usually those in a position of authority. They use their position of “power” to harass other employees by giving negative performance reviews, denying promotions, assigning degrading job duties, etc. Sadly, there are many employees that cannot afford to quit their positions, so they feel helpless, especially when their bully’s conduct has been noted, but nothing has been done to stop it.

While the law does not prohibit every rude thing an employer may do, bullying that takes the form of harassment is definitely illegal. You cannot be bullied in the workplace for your gender, race, religion, age, or national origin. Bullying that arises from an employee’s complaints about actual or suspected illegal activity is protected under whistleblower laws. If you are being bullied, let us help you protect yourself.

Have You Been Treated Unfairly At Your Workplace?

If you are the victim of illegal retaliation in the workplace because you blew the whistle on unlawful conduct, a Florida Employment Lawyer at Whittel & Melton can help you understand your employee rights. We will provide you with a completely free and confidential, no-obligation consultation so that you know what to expect if we move forward with filing a claim on your behalf. Call us today statewide and toll-free at 866-608-5529 or contact us online.

We proudly serve the entire state of Florida, including the following cities and surrounding areas of Brooksville, Spring Hill, Ocala, The Villages, Gainesville, Tampa, Brandon, New Port Richey, Dade City, Bushnell, Inverness, Crystal River, Homosassa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Bronson, Cedar Key, Tavares, Leesburg, Clermont, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and Miami.