Unfortunately, illegal activity occurs in many different industries and workplaces. When an employee comes across illegal activity in the workplace, they may be inclined to keep it a secret because they fear repercussions. However, state and federal laws protect workers who bring employers' illegal activity to the light. If you want to file a claim or report illegal activity in your place of work, you have laws that protect you.
What If I Get Fired After Filing a Claim or Reporting Illegal Activity?
It is unlawful for employers to fire a worker after they have reported illegal activity in the workplace. When an employer wrongfully terminates a worker for engaging in a protected activity (also considered retaliation), they may face serious legal consequences. Employers cannot retaliate against an employee when it takes action to punish the employee for exercising their workplace rights or for reporting legal violations.
Below we have put together a list of the most common laws protecting employees from wrongful termination or retaliation:
Workplace harassment and discrimination: Your employer cannot fire you for making a complaint to your HR department or to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) about discrimination or harassment in the workplace. You can participate in the investigation and file a claim without any repercussions from your employer.
Wage and hour laws: Your employer cannot fire you for filing a complaint about wage and hour issues. Whether your employer has failed to pay the minimum wage, overtime, or paid breaks, you have the right to file a complaint without getting fired.
Fraud or other illegal activity: If you discover that fraud or another illegal activity is occurring in your place of work, you have the legal right to report it to law enforcement without getting fired afterward or facing retaliation of any form.
If you have exercised any of your rights but faced retaliation or wrongful termination, you may have an employment law case. Contact our California employment law attorneys today at (888) 796-4010 to schedule a consultation!
