A whistleblower is an employee who “tells” on their employer because an employee reasonably believed that the employer committed an illegal act. Many violations of the law, and many dangers to public health and safety, go unreported because people who know about them...
An employee may be able to file a wrongful termination lawsuit if they are fired for complaining about their employer’s illegal conduct. California whistleblower laws offer employees protection from retaliation when they participate in “legally protected activities”...
The EEOC has answered the following questions to give guidance on Disability Related Inquiries and Medical Exams by Employers. A.1. How much information may an employer request from an employee who calls in sick, in order to protect the rest of its workforce during...
A whistleblower filed a lawsuit against Walmart today, alleging that the company committed fraudulent and misleading practices in order to thwart competition from Amazon and boost its stock price in the war for e-commerce sales. The lawsuit was filed by Tri Huynh, a...
In order to keep our country safer from terrorists, the Department of Homeland Security has an ongoing campaign called, "If you see something, say something." Encouraging Americans to report suspicious activities that could lead to widespread destruction makes good...
Often times when an employee has been terminated, he or she feels as though the termination is wrongful. They may have been treated unfairly or given a reason for their termination that they know to be untrue. Whether or not a termination is wrongful from a legal...
When an employer directs an employee to engage in illegal activity it puts the employee in an incredibly difficult situation. On one hand, the employee wants to uphold the law, is morally and ethically opposed to what the employer is asking, and naturally would fear...
A whistleblower was awarded six million dollars by a Federal Court jury in Los Angeles today as plaintiff Catherine Zulfer won a hard-fought case against Playboy Enterprises. Zulfer, the former controller for the company and a thirty-year employee, alleged that the...
The California Court of Appeal held recently that actions under the California Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA) (Govt. Code § 8547 et seq.) are not subject to compliance with the Government Claims Act (Govt. Code § 900-915.4, 945.4). Cornejo v. Lightbourne (2013)...
On January 1, 2014, one of the primary whistleblower statutes will be amended to provide broader protection for whistleblowers in California. Labor Code § 1102.5 will now provide express protection for employees that make internal complaints to their employers about...