Whistleblower Law in Florida for Employees

If you have a job in the state of Florida and you see something going on when you are at work that should not be happening, what can you do? There are actually laws that protect you from retaliation by your employer if you report the problem to the proper entities. Illegal activity should be reported, and whistleblowers need to be protected from being made uncomfortable at work by their employer after the report.

The Whistleblower statute is one that was specifically created for this situation. Florida law follows federal law in this case. This means that you should never be worried about retaliation if you report activity that is going on at your place of employment that should not be. If you have decided to blow the whistle on problems that are going on at your place of employment, you need to seek the support of the skilled team at Lopez Law. We have years of experience with whistleblower cases and can help you to seek a favorable outcome for your whistleblowing action while also protecting your employment rights.

The Florida Whistleblower Act

The Florida Act that protects people who report illegal activity at work is designed specifically to protect whistleblowers. There are several factors that need to be met in order for the case to fit within the category of this kind of law. These factors are required in order for you to be able to make a claim that your employer took inappropriate actions toward you. To make a claim under the Florida Whistleblower Act, the following must apply:

•         The person reporting suffered an adverse employment action like losing their job or they suffered lost benefits.
•         The whistleblowing report caused the employer to fire the employee.
•         The person reporting the illegal activity was reported to other people who work with them by management, was bullied by management or other employees related to the action they took to report, or the employer refused to correct the problem that was reported.

The Whistleblower Act is intended to protect your job and to hold your employer accountable for the actions that they have taken in retaliation for your report. Whistleblowers can be awarded attorney’s fees, back pay, or have retroactive benefits awarded to them.

Even if you are not awarded lawyer’s fees, you will be able to protect your employment rights and your ability to get a new job in the future in the same industry. Whistleblower actions can be the difference between being able to address a problem and make your workplace safe and being forced to leave employment because you are worried about the safety of your workplace.

Employers are required to take employee requests for issues to be addressed seriously. They cannot dismiss your concerns without investigation, and they should be willing to meet with stakeholders or other employees who are taking dangerous actions to work on addressing the issue. Reporting safety concerns or workflow concerns is a protected action as well, so you should never have to worry about attempting to address safety issues at your job.

While manufacturing and construction industry workers are the most likely to be impacted by unsafe or illegal workflows and work actions that are taking place, there can be illegal or unsafe actions taken at any job. If the problem that is going on at your job affects the safety of clients and coworkers, as well as your own safety, then you will need to report the problem so that your employer can address it. If your employer retaliates against you for reporting, the case is still a whistleblower case, even if you work in an office instead of a factory location.

Can Employers Defend Themselves Against Your Report?

The only way that a Florida employer can seek to argue against the action that you have taken in court is to show that a whistleblower was acting in bad faith. This can be very difficult to prove, and it might not absolve the employer of the wrongful actions that led to someone making a report. In many cases, even if the reporting process has been partially attended to by management, retaliation actions are also taken, which convert the problem into a whistleblower case.

This is why you need to be sure that you have a skilled legal team working on your behalf if you are going to take whistleblower actions. The team at Lopez Law Group has years of experience with these cases and can help you to protect your employment rights and to create change to resolve issues that are illegal at your place of employment. Since employers will usually want to use the defense that you are reporting out of spite, you will need a skilled legal professional supporting you as you seek to have the problems at your place of work addressed.

The Florida Whistleblower Law Protects Employees Who Report Illegal Activity

If you have witnessed illegal actions being taken at your job, you should never suffer retaliation from your boss or other management due to your report. As soon as your place of employment retaliates against you, the case is no longer just a work report. Once retaliation happens, the case becomes a whistleblower case. You will need to seek the support and representation of a skilled legal team if this kind of action has been taken against you at your place of work.

The team at Lopez Law Group has years of experience with cases related to whistleblowing and retaliation. We will be able to represent you as you seek to have the issues at your place of business addressed. We can also ensure that you do not lose your employment rights, your benefits, or the ability to get other jobs in the industry that you have been working in. Contact us today and set up a consultation. We are eager to help you with your whistleblower case to ensure that your rights as an employee are defended and protected properly.

See also:

• WORKPLACE BULLYING LAW IN FLORIDA FOR EMPLOYEES