There Are Many Whistleblower Retaliation Claims Each Year

California law enforcement relies on people who witness crimes to report them and provide the facts needed to convict the people who committed the crime. Just like there are many laws that individuals need to follow, businesses also need to follow many different laws, and law enforcement relies on witnesses to hold these companies accountable for violations.

These witnesses are usually employees within the company. These could be laws that directly affect the employee who reports them or could be laws that defraud the government or customers. However, no matter what violation of the law the employee reports, the employee is protected against whistleblower retaliation. If the employer does retaliate, then they may be required to compensate the employee for the damages they suffer as a result of the retaliation.

Many employers are accused of retaliating against employees each year. In 2017, the EEOC received 41,097 claims for retaliation. Many people also received favorable resolutions of their claims. A total of 6,941 people received a favorable outcome and received a total of $192 million. That total only includes the totals people received through the EEOC. That number does not include the amounts people received through private lawsuits.

Many people are upset when people turn them in for violating the law, and businesses are no different. They could be upset with employees for reporting violations of the law because usually it costs the company money. So, they may retaliate against an employee to set an discourage others from speaking up. This is also illegal, and, in addition to the penalties the company receives for violating the law, they may also be required to compensate the employee as well. Employees who suffer retaliation may find consulting with an experienced attorney helpful.