The Official Injury Attorneys of the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco Whistleblower Lawyer
Any employee who reports unlawful activities in their place of employment, or certain violations, may have whistleblower protections under state or federal law. California has specific whistleblower protections under California Labor Code Section 1102.5, and the federal Whistleblower Protection Act also provides protections to certain employees. If you recently engaged in any kind of action that could make you eligible for whistleblower protections, it is important to seek legal help. Contact our experienced San Francisco whistleblower lawyer today for assistance.
What is a San Francisco Whistleblower?
California law defines a whistleblower as “an employee who discloses information to a government or law enforcement agency, person with authority over the employee, or to another employee with authority to investigate, discover, or correct the violation or noncompliance, or who provides information to or testifies before a public body conducting an investigation, hearing, or inquiry, where the employee has reasonable cause to believe that the information discloses” one of the following:
- Violation of state or federal law;
- Violation of local, state, or federal rule or regulation; or
- Information about unsafe working conditions or working practices in the place of employment.
In short, a whistleblower is an employee who gives information about a legal or safety or health violation in their workplace. In addition, an employee may also have whistleblower protections when they refuse to participate in one of the above types of violations. The California Department of Industrial Relations emphasizes that it is the public policy of the state to encourage employees to report legal or safety or health violations, and to participate in any investigation related to a violation so that it can be corrected.
What Are Whistleblower Protections in San Francisco?
Employees have a range of whistleblower protections in San Francisco workplaces, including the following:
- Employee’s employer cannot make or enforce any workplace rule or policy that prevents the employee from whistleblowing;
- Protection against retaliation for whistleblowing;
- Protection against retaliation for refusing to participate in an activity that would result in a legal violation or a violation of a rule or regulation; and
- Protection against retaliation for the employee’s involvement in whistleblowing or exercising of whistleblowing rights in the past (in a former job).
If any employer has retaliated against you for any protected whistleblowing actions, you may be eligible to file a claim in order to seek a remedy. When an employer violates whistleblowing laws, the employee may be able to obtain a range of remedies, including reinstatement to their job, their former role or rate of pay, or their former schedule (if retaliation for whistleblowing involved a wrongful termination, demotion, pay cut, schedule change, or related action), and lost wages (in the event of wrongful termination or a demotion or pay cut). In addition, the employer can face penalties and may be required to pay fees.
Contact the San Francisco Whistleblower Lawyers at Venardi Zurada LLP Today
As an employee in San Francisco, you should know that you may have protections under state and federal whistleblower laws. The firm of Venardi Zurada LLP can discuss those protections with you and your options for filing a claim. Contact our experienced San Francisco whistleblower lawyer today to learn more about whistleblower laws and protections in California workplaces.
