Discovering illegal or unsafe practices in the workplace can cause a flurry of emotions from anger to disbelief to disappointment. If you are the employee to make this discovery, it can be equally intimidating to step up and report it for fear of retaliation or termination. However, state and federal laws protect you from having to deal with the fallout of being a whistleblower.
What Laws Protect Me From Being Fired or Harassed?
The New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA) protects employees from disclosing information about a company engaging in illegal activities or violating state or federal laws. It also protects individuals who testify against an employer and those who refuse to participate in illegal activities.
Additionally, the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) makes it illegal to discriminate or harass an employee for their race, age, religion, nationality, gender, and sexual orientation. Any person who experiences retaliation due to these characteristics has a right to report it without fear of being harassed.
When it comes to working conditions, federal mandates through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ensure a safe environment and anyone who breaches this requirement is subject to fines and penalties. However, the person who reports the violations is not permitted to be fired, demoted, or harassed as a result.
What Are Signs of Retaliation?
While all of these laws are designed to protect workers, the truth is that some employees may find themselves in situations where an employer attempts to retaliate against them. But it may not be as obvious as firing an individual outright. Making conditions so unbearable that an employee quits, encouraging other employees to “gang up” or “outcast” an individual, leaving an employee out of meetings or other functions, reducing an employee’s wages, and demoting an employee all constitute as retaliation.
An employer may also suddenly begin building a case and creating reasons to give an employee unfavorable marks on an evaluation or devaluing their job performance so they can fire them for a “lawful” reason. This includes withholding information to make an employee appear incompetent in their duties. Conversely, an employee may suddenly be smothered by supervisors attempting to micromanage them when they previously had little to no oversight prior to whistleblowing.
How Do I File a Complaint?
In the state of New Jersey, an individual must file a whistleblower or retaliation claim with their employer as well as with an employment protection agency, such as OSHA or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). If the issue involves healthcare or environmental issues, they may wish to contact a local chapter in relation to patient care or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Stand Up for Your Rights With Help From the Marlton Whistleblower Lawyers at Burnham Douglass
If you find yourself in a situation where you feel like your employer is out to get you for standing up for the safety and well-being of yourself or others, put a stop to it by contacting a lawyer who can help you. Call the Marlton whistleblower lawyers at Burnham Douglass today at 856-751-5505 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. With offices in Marlton and Northfield, New Jersey, we proudly serve clients in South Jersey, including Marlton, Evesham Township, Cherry Hill, Camden County, Burlington County, Northfield, and Atlantic City.