Reporting your employer for fraud, unsafe working conditions, discriminatory practices, or other wrongdoing is never easy. You may fear that becoming a whistleblower may put your job at risk or ruin your professional relationships.
You should know that you’re entitled to protection under the law as a whistleblower. A whistleblower attorney can help you take action against your employer if they fired, demoted, or otherwise unlawfully penalized you for calling out illicit activities.
Florida Law Protects Whistleblowers
Several state and federal laws protect whistleblowers from retaliation. One of these is the Florida Whistleblower Act, which prohibits employers from taking any adverse actions against an employee who reported misconduct in the organization. Under the Whistleblower Act, wrongfully penalized whistleblowers may recover lost wages, other workplace benefits, and legal fees.
Recognizing Whistleblower Retaliation
If you blow the whistle on wage violations or harassment in your company, and your employer suddenly terminates your contract with no reasonable cause, it’s easy enough to spot whistleblower retaliation. However, if your employer is cautious enough, they may take more subtle actions, such as:
- Passing you over for a promotion that you had reasonably expected based on your time in the organization and your prior achievements
- Denying you a bonus that other employees in your department have collected
- Transferring you to a different office that would require a longer commute or even moving to another city
- Creating a toxic work environment by encouraging gossip, bullying, and social ostracism or excluding you from corporate events
Your employer may try to create conditions that encourage you to leave “voluntarily” and thus absolve them from accusations of unlawful retaliation. Nevertheless, if you notice your position, benefits, or comfort in the organization suffered after you became a whistleblower, you should start collecting evidence against your employer and talk to a Florida whistleblower attorney.
Proving Whistleblower Retaliation
It can be difficult to show that your employer (or former employer) penalized you for whistleblowing. Employers will usually claim your termination had to do with legitimate reasons like restructuring or that they chose a better candidate for promotion based on qualifications.
You must show a reasonable link between your whistleblower activity and the employer’s retaliation against you. Collect every document that could serve as evidence, including performance reports, messages from human resources, and email or instant message (Slack, Hubspot, etc) communication between you and your organization’s management.
For example, if your last annual report praises your achievements or you received an important award shortly before you became a whistleblower, such evidence may refute your employer’s claims of “poor performance.”
Why You Need an Employment Retaliation Lawyer
When accusing your employer of whistleblowing, the burden of proof is on you. A seasoned whistleblower attorney can leverage their knowledge and experience of previous similar cases to show that your employer retaliated against you for reporting their unlawful actions.
Working with a skilled attorney improves your chances of recovering lost wages, retirement and healthcare benefits, and other workplace benefits you may have lost after blowing the whistle. A Florida qui tam lawyer can also help protect your rights if you report fraud against the government.
Did You Suffer From Whistleblower Retaliation? Contact Mark J. Berkowitz, Fort Lauderdale Whistleblower Attorney
Did you lose your job or suffer harm to your career prospects because you reported your employer’s unlawful activities? Mark J. Berkowitz, a dedicated corporate whistleblower advocate, can help you seek justice. Contact our law firm today for skilled and knowledgeable whistleblower legal representation.
Call (954) 527-0570 or contact us online to schedule a consultation with a Florida whistleblower attorney.