Public sector employees know some of the government’s most sensitive secrets. They employees may learn of corruption, waste, abuses of power, and other unethical and illegal practices. Employees who want to report this misconduct are often hesitant because they fear what might happen to them. State and federal law...
One way that California stands out among the 50 states is through its whistleblower protection act. The California Whistleblower Protection Act is a crucial piece of whistleblower retaliation legislation that provides unique protections to would-be whistleblowers. However, the CWPA differs from federal whistleblower acts in several ways. We’ll cover...
Proper use of public resources and policing with integrity are concerns on many people’s minds these days. If you are in law enforcement and have noticed legal violations committed by your colleagues or supervisors, what kind of police whistleblower protections do you have? Unfortunately, police officers often have fewer...
Your employer has the authority to make many demands of you. However, your employer cannot command that you engage in unlawful behavior or tolerate the employer’s misconduct. Your job should not be at odds with the law. Fortunately, federal and California whistleblower protection laws help ensure that workers have...
Some employers illegally take advantage of their positions of power over employees. You might see an employer abuse power by punishing workers who reveal an employer’s unlawful practices or refuse to participate in illegal activities at work. A business that takes adverse action against an employee who exposes or...
The Dodd-Frank Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) are two keystone financial regulation laws. Congress passed the two laws in the early 21st century to combat corporate fraud and improve transparency and accountability in the U.S. financial system. To help accomplish these goals, Congress included whistleblower protections in both...
Whistleblowers play a vital part in ensuring our world is fairer and more just. Because of their valuable service to society, several laws protect whistleblowers against retaliation, and some laws even reward them for their bravery. One of the oldest and most important whistleblower acts is the False Claims...
Healthcare fraud is a widespread problem that drives up the cost of care for anyone who needs to use our already expensive American healthcare system. Unfortunately, fraudulent claims are estimated to comprise as much as 10% of all U.S. healthcare expenses annually. That means almost $230 billion may be...
Nurses are the backbone of the American healthcare system. They work on the front lines of patient care daily. Unfortunately, this also puts nurses on the front lines of demotion, harassment, or other consequences for reporting wrongdoing, blowing the whistle on unsafe conditions, and standing up for patients. As...
In general, it is illegal for employers to agree not to compete for employees. This means that employers cannot agree not to solicit another employer’s employees. These agreements are called “no-poach” or “no-hire” agreements and they are illegal. In addition, employers cannot agree not pay their employees the same...