Whistleblower Protection

Although most employers make a concerted effort to comply with state and federal laws protecting their employees, there are instances where individuals must bring attention to violations of laws and standards.

Often referred to as whistleblowers, these individuals can face discrimination, harassment, unlawful termination, workplace retaliation and other forms of mistreatment at the hands of their employer or co-workers for exposing violations. In many cases, people affected by discrimination are intimidated into remaining silent. At Higgins Law Office, PLLC, we devote a significant portion of our practice to assisting whistleblowers expose injustices and protect their worker’s and civil rights.

You Don’t Have to Feel Alone

As noted above, people who expose workplace injustice often feel isolated by their co-workers. Fortunately, there are numerous protections in place meant to deter intimidation and discriminatory actions against whistleblowers. Some of these legal protections include:

• Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989: Protecting government workers reporting agency misconduct.
• OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program: Protecting employees who file OSHA complaints against an employer.
• No FEAR Act: Intended to discourage federal supervisors and managers from discriminating or unlawfully retaliating against their employees.

With our dedicated employment law attorney by your side, you can feel confident as you use the law to make your workplace safer for present and future employees.

A Lawyer Will Listen to Your Story in Confidence and Explain the Legal Process

It’s highly likely that a whistleblower may wish to remain anonymous. However, depending on factors such as the size of the company (if there are only a few employees, it may be difficult to protect an individual’s identity), or if the evidence proves insufficient, it may be necessary for the alerting individual to assume a more visible role.

At our firm, we take every precaution to protect our client’s best interests. If you wish to file a complaint, contact us to schedule a confidential case evaluation. We can explain the statutory protections and the process for filing. We also assist workers with Qui Tam cases that involve the federal authorities.

To learn more about your options and how we can help, contact our Des Moines, Iowa, law office by dialing 515-619-9148 or send us an email.