Whistleblowing can come in many shapes and forms. A whistleblower can be an employee for a government contractor that knows that the contractor is inflating bills or defrauding the government. Alternately, a whistleblower can be someone who reports a publicly held company for defrauding its shareholders. Blowing the whistle can be a life changing event. How to blow the whistle and the ramifications-both good and bad, are critical components of a successful campaign.
Here in Florida, employees who report the unethical or illegal acts of their employers are protected by the Florida Whistleblower Act. The whistleblower law protects private and public sector employees from being fired or retaliated against for reporting these acts. If an employee is retaliated against, they may be able to file a whistleblower lawsuit against their employer. Gregg M. Goldfarb, LLP has extensive experience handling whistleblower lawsuits and can put his experience to work for you.
Under whistleblower statutes, it is illegal to retaliate against an employee for reporting illegal or unethical acts. Retaliation can include things such as:
- Termination
- Demotion
- Suspension
- Salary reduction
- Benefits reduction
- Disciplinary action
In a whistleblower lawsuit, an employee may be reinstated in their job and could receive compensation for lost wages and benefits.