Whistleblowers

All employees should feel as though they have a free and open workplace where they can voice concerns or complaints about conduct they believe is in violation of certain rules, regulations or laws.  However, all too often, employees face discrimination, harassment, and work in fear that they may lose their job for simply voicing the truth.  As such, employees should be aware that they have rights as “whistleblowers” under federal law.  At The Vaughn Law Firm, our Whistleblower Protection Attorneys represent clients who have faced job loss and other harassing measures and help them fight to preserve their rights and interests as allowed by the law.

Whistleblower Protections Under Federal Law

Under the Whistleblower Protection Act, any employee who alerts a supervisor, manager or other superior to workplace violations or violations of laws, rules, and regulations, is protected from losing his/her job, facing a monetary fine, or being a victim of harassment both inside and outside the workplace.  It is already challenging enough for individuals to find employment, so the risk of losing a job can create significant fear and anxiety to the point where an employee simply ignores conduct that should rightfully be reported.

What Violations do Whistleblowers Typically Report to Superiors?

There are numerous ways in which employees and employers can commit wrongful acts in the workplace.  All workplaces are different, so the type of violation may depend upon the type of industry at issue.  Examples of violations that whistleblowers may report to their superiors include, among others, the following:

• Violations of local, state and federal laws
• Mismanagement of funds
• Waste of funds
• Fraudulent behavior
• Abuse of authority
• Safety violations, many of which can put employees and others at risk of suffering injury or death
• Harassment (verbal, physical, and sexual, among others)

The Consequences of Reporting Misconduct to Superiors

In a perfect world, superiors who receive information that a particular person or group of persons are committing illegal, elicit, or unethical acts will do the right thing and take measures to stop such behavior.  However, instead of doing the right thing, many superiors go on the defensive and attack the employee who is blowing the whistle on activity that should not be tolerated.  Whether a whistleblower faces termination of his/her job, harassment of any type, lowered wages (i.e., lower salary, loss of a chance to earn bonus income, or failure to pay regular wages), and other retaliatory actions, he or she may find protections under the law.

Many employees place their reputation at risk to expose conduct that any average person would consider to be intolerable.  As such, all employees should take every measure possible to not only blow the whistle on egregious behavior but also to protect themselves under the Whistleblower Protection Act.  However, before employees can protect themselves, they should first consider speaking with a qualified attorney who handles whistleblower cases on a regular basis to find out what legal options may be available.

Contact the Vaughn Law Firm Today to Schedule Your Consultation

If you are facing retaliation for voicing your concerns about workplace violations, it may be time to consider speaking with a Whistleblower Protection Lawyer about your rights as an employee.  With offices in Washington, D.C. and Decatur, Georgia, the Vaughn Law Firm has the resources to help you as a whistleblower protected under federal law.  To schedule your consultation to speak with one of our Whistleblower Protection Attorneys, contact the Vaughn Law Firm today by calling toll-free at (877) 615-9495.