Did you ever voice objections to your employer that certain practices of the employer were illegal or dangerous, and then find you were demoted or terminated? If so, you may have a valid whistleblower claim.
In New Jersey, if an employee complains about, objects to, or refuses to participate in conduct, or discloses or threatens to disclose to a supervisor or to a public body, an activity, policy or practice that the employee reasonably believes is a violation of law, is fraudulent, or violates public policy, this employee is a "whistleblower. " Some of the types of activities that the whistleblower may complain about could be criminal, including any activity of deception or misrepresentation which the employee reasonably believes may defraud any governmental entity or defrauds a shareholder, investor, client, patient, customer, employee, former employee. Other types of activities that an employee may complain about may involve fraud upon or danger to consumers in products, food etc., and the public, or acts of the employer that are incompatible with a clear mandate of public policy concerning the public health, safety or welfare or protection of the environment. In the case of an employee who is a licensed or certified health care professional, whistle blowing could be refusing to participate or objecting to practices that the employee reasonably believes constitutes improper quality of patient care.
An employee could be objecting to acts of the employer that take place within the workplace itself and out of the workplace; such as that the employer is violating discrimination laws as to the public or its clients, or with its own employees, or violating employment laws, wage and hour laws, consumer protection laws or public policies.
New Jersey state law and federal law laws protect the employee who objects to or whistleblows on such acts of an employer. These whistleblower laws protects employees who report, complain about, or oppose fraudulent and illegal conduct by their employers. In New Jersey, the New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA) is among the most far reaching and strongest whistleblower protection in the country.
If you have been demoted, had your hours cut, terminated, or been subjected to retaliation for reporting an employer's improper conduct or fraud, you may have a valid Whistleblower claim and may file a lawsuit to seek damages for lost income, emotional distress, and punitive damages. It is important to not sit on your rights and to contact a whistleblower attorney as soon as soon there has been such retaliation against you.
For a free consultation contact Hope A. Lang at
(201) 599‑9600 with your employment discrimination questions today.
Hope A. Lang, Attorney at Law, represents employees throughout New Jersey in complex employment discrimination lawsuits. She accepts cases from all counties in Northern, Southern, and Central New Jersey and has locations in central, western and northern New Jersey to meet with clients. If you believe that you have been discriminated against due to gender identity or other protected characteristic, such as age, disability, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or national origin, or in retaliation for reporting what you believed to be illegal acts of your employer, she can help you. It is important to know your rights as an employee. |