You cannot be fired for reporting unlawful or unethical business practices at your place of employment. However, in California, there are additional employee rights for whistleblowers, which we shall cover in this blog post.

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Employees are frequently the first to learn about potentially harmful, unethical, or illegal conduct at work. When it comes to "blowing the whistle," insiders, regrettably, have the most to lose. They fear losing their jobs, their reputations, and the risk of civil and criminal liability if they come out.

Coming forward with damaging information about your coworkers and corporate policy requires a lot of bravery. However, you should not put your reputation, livelihood, or safety in jeopardy by doing so.

As a result, laws protect your rights as a whistleblower, and our California Whistleblower Retaliation Lawyers defend those who violate them.

Whistleblower Rights In California

California has long been a leader in recognizing the importance of protecting the rights of whistleblowers who serve a public service by revealing workplace abuses, malpractice, and other harmful and illegal actions.

Employers are prohibited by the California Labor Code from retaliating against employees who:

Give a government or law enforcement agency the information they need.

To a government agency conducting a hearing, investigation, or inquiry, provides data, information, and eyewitness testimony.

Comply with a governmental body conducting a hearing, investigation, or inquiry.

Employers who attempt to retaliate against an employee for exposing the facts set out in the Act may be held liable in civil court for damages.

The following information may be protected under the Labor Code:

Violations of workplace safety rules, such as those relating to equipment and training

Violations of human resource rules, such as failures to protect the confidentiality of employee records

Environmental rules and regulations have been broken, including those forbidding or governing the disposal of hazardous chemicals

Antitrust violations, including price-fixing and auction rigging

Financial crimes and securities law violations, including things like altering a company's books and records to hide financial liabilities

Any other acts that a person believes are against the law or regulation

It's worth remembering that the Labor Code protects you even if you're mistaken about a violation if you have fair or reasonable cause to believe it occurred. This means that if you report illegal activity, your employer cannot terminate, demote, or take any other adverse employment action against you, even if you are mistaken.

If your boss abuses any of these worker rights, you should contact a California Employment Law Attorney for assistance in filing claims or taking your case to court.

Bottom-line

Whistleblowers are brave individuals who do the right thing. However, a lot of them fear retaliation from their employers.

So, if you're ever worried about the possible repercussions of "blowing the whistle," you need to find a fitting California Labor Law Attorney to help protect your rights. Your lawyer will know their way around California labor laws, the evidence that you need, and the paperwork you need to fulfill.