Whistleblower Protection

Boston Whistleblower Lawyer

“I reported my company for violating employee safety regulations. Ever since then, I’ve been passed over for promotions and have been given unfavorable work assignments. My manager said the company can’t reward whistleblowers. Is it legal for my employer to treat me this way?”

The short answer is no. Whistleblowers are protected from retaliation under numerous laws. The whistleblower retaliation lawyers at Gordon Law Group, LLP, who are based in Boston, represent people across the country who find themselves in this situation. When you work with a Boston whistleblower lawyer at Gordon Law Group, LLP, you can be confident in your decision. Our attorneys are frequently cited as being among the best employment lawyers in the nation.

Understanding Whistleblowing and Retaliation

The term “whistleblowing” refers to making a report or otherwise disclosing information when someone believes that wrongdoing has occurred (or is occurring) within a company or against the government. Wrongdoing could be violations of rules or laws, an abuse of authority, financial mismanagement, or a potential public health or safety issue. The disclosure of wrongdoing could be made to a supervisor, internal company ethics hotline, or a government agency. Whistleblowing could also involve going public with information about fraud.

Employers may not legally take retaliatory action against whistleblowers. Retaliation can take many different forms, including:

• Termination
• Intimidation
• Denial of promotions
• Reduction in pay, hours, or benefits
• Demotion or given less favorable assignments
• Harassment
• Creating a hostile work environment

When an employer retaliates against someone who disclosed wrongdoing, a workplace retaliation lawyer can advocate for the whistleblower’s rights under various laws.

Numerous Laws Exist to Protect Whistleblowers

There are many laws and protections in place for whistleblowers at the federal, state, and local levels. Federal protections include U.S. Department of Labor laws, Dodd-Frank, the False Claims Act, as well as OSHA whistleblower protections. In fact, OSHA enforces nearly 2 dozen statutes with anti-retaliation language including the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), the Clean Air Act (CAA), Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), and more. These laws against whistleblower retaliation encompass a range of areas, including consumer product/food safety, employee safety, fraud/financial matters, health insurance, transportation services, and environmental protection.

In Massachusetts, there are protections for whistleblowers in the state’s General Laws (Chapter 149, Section 185). These laws protect both public and private employees. In addition, some whistleblowing matters are also covered under the Massachusetts False Claims Act, which allows taxpayers to hold other Massachusetts citizens (including corporate entities) accountable. Other states across the country have similar legal protections for whistleblowers.

Finally, there may also be anti-retaliation protections at the local level in municipal or county regulations. Your employee retaliation lawyer will work to identify all applicable statutes and legal protections available to you, based on the underlying facts and circumstances of your case.

Gordon Law Group, LLP is the Whistleblower Law Firm You Can Trust

If you believe you suffered retaliation because you blew the whistle on a current or former employer, the whistleblowing attorneys at Gordon Law Group, LLP can help. Our practice is dedicated to advocating for workers’ rights, and we feel strongly about holding employers accountable when they violate the law. We work with people at all levels of their careers, from entry-level workers to C-suite executives.

To get started and to schedule an initial consultation, contact Gordon Law Group, LLP today.