Whistleblower Retaliation Claims

Whistleblower laws are designed to provide protection for individuals who report illegal or suspected illegal activity. Whistleblower protections cover a wide variety of activities including but not limited to workplace safety violations, discrimination and employment laws.

In California, if an employee is retaliated against for reporting an activity that violates both a state and a federal statute, the employee can pursue damages against his or her employer under both state and federal laws. If you believe you have been terminated or your employer has taken other action against you in retaliation for making a report, talk to a Los Angeles whistleblower attorney at the Law Offices of Kevin T. Barnes today. Call (323) 549-9100 for a confidential consultation.

For more than 20 years, Law Offices of Kevin T. Barnes has been standing up for employees across California. He is respected within the legal community for his ability to handle employment law claims. Tell us about your situation. We are ready to listen, and we are prepared to help.

Whistleblower Protections Under California Law

California’s whistleblower protections are very strong. Under the state’s whistleblower protection statute, Labor Code Section 1102.5, a person is protected for reporting any violation of state or federal law, rule or regulation or unsafe working condition. To simplify reporting, the Attorney General has established a whistleblowing hotline to facilitate investigation into illegal activities.

People who are not aware of the whistleblowing hotline may also be protected for reporting suspected behavior to a superior or another person within the company or organization who has the authority to take action.

Employees are also protected against retaliation in anticipation of whistleblower activity.

False Claims Act And Qui Tam Claims

Fraud against the government is extensive. Health care fraud is among the most common forms of fraud. Filing false claims and improper Medicare coding are being used by businesses and health care organizations to fleece our government of funds.

Both the federal False Claims Act and the California False Claims Act are designed to combat fraud against the government by providing incentive and protection to whistleblowers who expose the fraud. Often referred to as qui tam claims, an individual with evidence of fraud against the government, who is referred to as a relator, is allowed to pursue a claim on the government’s behalf.

Due to the complexity of the evidence, False Claims Act cases are challenging. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Kevin T. Barnes are experienced in handling these special kinds of cases.

Damages For Whistleblower Retaliation

Whistleblower laws are designed to discourage retaliation. To accomplish this, there are strong damages provisions in both federal and state whistleblower statutes. Whistleblowers may recover back wages as well as compensatory damages.

The lawyers at the Law Offices of Kevin T. Barnes are dedicated to making sure you obtain the maximum compensation available for your whistleblower claim.