1. How a Los Angeles Whistleblower Attorney Can Defend Your Rights
Whistleblowing is where an employee risks their job (or their good salary or job position)
for a fellow employee who has been a victim of your employer. While whistle blowing is
definitely risky, but the individual who does it usually does so out of compassion for the
fellow employee who has been victimized.
What Does the Law Say?
California law is very explicit in terms of whistle blowing, stating that it is illegal for
employers to retaliate against their employees, in regard to safety, discrimination,
mismanagement, criminal activity, and whistle blowing.
Employees who blow the whistle usually do so after witnessing or being aware of illegal
practices in the company or business, and subsequently are demoted, having their pay
cut, being transferred to a different position, or being fired all together. Sometimes,
employers can treat their employees so badly that they are forced to quit.
But even so, the Whistleblower Protection Act in California, amended in 2003, states that
workers in the state can speak to state government officials in regards to any illegal
activities being performed in businesses or companies in the state. This law applies to
every person who works in the state of California, including government officials at the
local, state and federal level and those who work in the education system.
As required by law, all California employers have to post a whistleblower hotline number to
make sure that all whistle blower claims will be addressed. This is required by the
California Labor Code, and gives protection for all of those who report being accused of
receiving punishments for whistle blowing.
How a Lawyer Can Help
Rights that you can see include being reinstated into the company if you were fired, being
paid any lost wages that you sustained, and being entitled to extra benefits from the
company. The specific rights that you are entitled to will vary by case, but this is where a
good Los Angeles whistleblower attorney will be able to help you.
A good whistle blower attorney will be one who has worked on whistle blowing cases
throughout the state of California and not just in Los Angeles. Though attorneys and firms
with this kind of experience will undoubtedly cost more, they will also be much more
effective and experienced in defending your rights in court and helping you navigate
through the legal system. A good lawyer who is dedicated to helping you, and passionate
about what they do, will also understand both sides of the law, and thus can perhaps even
deduce arguments that your employer may bring up in court if things go that far.