Many people worry that reporting illegal or unethical behavior at their workplace could cost them their job, reputation and career. However, employees have legal protections under federal and state laws that allow them to report workplace misconduct.
Employees can learn more about their legal rights when whistleblowing. Here is what you should know:
What is whistleblowing?
Whistleblowing refers to when an employee reports illegal, unsafe or unethical workplace conduct to a supervisor or government agency. Some common examples of whistleblowing include reporting:
- Accounting, insurance or financial fraud
- Workplace safety violations
- Discrimination or harassment
- Wage and hour violations
- Environmental harm
- State or federal law violations
State and federal laws consider whistleblowing a protected activity.
What are protected activities?
Protected activities are legal rights employees can exercise without suffering negative consequences, such as reporting discrimination to a government agency. Whistleblower laws are designed to encourage employees to report illegal or unethical behavior at their workplace without fearing they will suffer retaliation. Some forms of retaliation employees may face for engaging in a protected activity include the following:
- Termination
- Demotion
- Loss of responsibilities
- Reduced work hours or pay
- Negative performance reviews
- Promotion denial
- Harassment or intimidations
If an employee believes they are experiencing retaliation after engaging in a protected activity, it is important to take steps to protect their rights.
What to do after whistleblowing?
After reporting unethical workplace behavior, employees should consider keeping copies of emails, performance reviews or other documents that could be used as evidence of retaliation. This evidence can help employees who may need to file a claim if they are punished for engaging in protected activities.
If you are facing retaliation after whistleblowing, then you may need to seek legal guidance to learn about your rights.