New Jersey employees who report illegal business activities are referred to as whistleblowers. Federal and state laws provide whistleblowers with various protections against any adverse behavior from their employer. As a whistleblower, it’s vital that you understand just what your rights and protections are so that you can seek legal help if they are violated by your employer.
Retaliation is illegal
The biggest protection that federal and state laws provide whistleblowers is freedom from retaliation from their employer. Retaliation can be defined as one of many negative behaviors against an employee. Some common examples include demotion, relocation, pay decrease and wrongful termination or firing. If you’ve experienced any of these acts of retaliation from your employer or former employer, it’s advisable to contact an attorney about your legal options.
Who do whistleblowers reports to?
People who witness illegal business activities can report their sightings to either executives from the company or an authoritative governing body. There are various governing bodies that will listen to whistleblower complaints. Two of the most well-known are the SEC and OSHA. Each authoritative governing body tends to deal with different violations. For example, the SEC deals with violations of the securities law. OSHA, on the other hand, deals with violations regarding safety and environmental laws.
Do whistleblowers get a reward?
Many governing bodies like OSHA offer whistleblowers a reward for reporting the illegal activity. The compensation will vary depending on the individual circumstances of the case. Typically, the reward will be a percentage of the total dollar amount that the governing body can recuperate from the violating company.
Whistleblowers are given specific rights underneath both state and federal laws to protect their financial well-being. It’s illegal for a business to retaliate against a whistleblower, so if you’re a whistleblower and have experienced retaliation, it’s vital that you contact an attorney about submitting a complaint.