On behalf of Mohajer Law Firm, APC posted in civil litigation on Wednesday, July 5, 2017.
A whistleblower is an employee who reports misconduct within a company. It would seem only natural that an employee who is with a company and is making reports which make the company’s executives look bad would not last long at that company. But, in an effort to shed light on potentially illegal or wrongful doings, there are specific whistleblower protections in place in California and throughout the country. These help protect employees against retaliation from their employers.
An example of the protection a whistleblower law can provide is the case of an employee from a California medical device manufacturer. A top regional sales manager from the company noticed what he believed to be illegal activities, including issues with financial reporting, the promotion and use of medical devices not approved by the Federal Drug Administration, violations of patient safety and potentially kickbacks to doctors.
After getting no results after making a complaint to his superiors, instead getting a reduction in his sales territory which affected his sales and compensation, including bonuses, he complained again to management, and was subsequently fired. He then sued the company, citing a breach of the California Whistleblower Act. He went on to win the case, getting a verdict of $2.7 million in compensatory damages and $22.4 million in punitive damages from the company.
Any employee who feels he or she may have been wrongfully terminated may want to reach out to a law firm familiar with civil litigation to see whether their rights were violated. The state of California has specific laws in place to protect employees from retaliation if they were a whistleblower for illegal activity at the company.