In Florida, employees are granted various rights under the law. Often, they view this regarding their pay, whether they should receive overtime, what their rights are if they believe they have been wrongfully terminated, how they should respond if they were discriminated against, and more. However, many workers are unsure of their options if they discover that the employer has been breaking the law or is not following required practices.
This falls under the category of being a whistleblower. Employees who have discovered or been impacted by an employer’s wrongdoing might be intimidated by the prospect of speaking out. The most common fear is that they will be retaliated against for doing so. However, there are laws in place protecting them. If they are confronted by this dilemma or have already faced retaliation, it is important for them to understand their rights.
Employees are protected for reporting employer wrongdoing
There are many ways in which an employer could commit a violation. Some are worse than others. No matter what, an employee who is aware of this can inform relevant government agencies without being retaliated against for it.
For example, if a workplace has safety violations or is violating the standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), then a worker reporting it is doing so for the good of everyone – including the employer. It could be costly to the employer to repair the issue and retaliation is a possibility.
Other reasons for which an employer might report wrongdoing include fraud, outright theft, harassment or discrimination against the reporting worker or others, and a worker refusing to break the law when asked to by the employer. The employer cannot retaliate if the worker reports the violations or takes part in the investigation.
Cutting hours, giving worse assignments, denying a promotion can all be viewed as acts of retaliation. This goes beyond warning an employee that their job might be in jeopardy and can be more nuanced.
Workers should know their rights to be protected from whistleblower retaliation
No employee should be fearful of reporting wrongdoing in the workplace. Despite laws being in place protecting them and employers being keenly aware of the laws, that does not mean there will not be an attempt to try and penalize a worker who decides to speak up.
When this happens, the worker should be fully aware of their options whether it when they are thinking about reporting the employer’s behavior or they have already done so and are confronted with reprisals. Consulting with professionals experienced in all areas of employment law can be imperative.