An employee “blows the whistle” when the employee alleges corporate wrongdoing either by complaining to an internal company representative or by complaining to an external source, such as a government agency. Whistleblowers serve an important function by revealing an employer’s legal violations or fraudulent conduct. Because of this, laws protect some whistleblowers from retaliation by their employers. For example, an employer may be liable to an employee for damages for firing the employee because the employee cooperated with a government investigation into corporate fraud. But not all whistleblowers are protected from retaliation; these laws apply only in certain instances. For instance, the federal False Claims Act allows an employee to pursue a retaliation claim against a former employer if the employer terminates the employee because the employee participates in an action brought against the employer under the statute.
If an employee believes that his employer is committing a violation of law, the employee may wish to consult with a wrongful termination lawyer to determine how to bring his concerns to light and simultaneously how to protect his own rights. To speak with a Dallas wrongful termination lawyer, please contact the employment law lawyers at Clouse Dunn Khoshbin LLP at [email protected].
