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Whistleblower Claims

A whistleblower is an employee who raises a concern about potentially unlawful conduct by his/her employer. California law protects employees who report their suspicions of illegal activity either to their employer or to a government agency.

Examples of illegal activities by employers include:

  • Preparing unsafe and/or contaminated food;
  • Mislabeling products;
  • Violating OSHA laws which require employers to provide a safe workplace for its employees and customers;
  • Violating wage & hour laws such as denying meal and rest breaks and forcing employees to perform unpaid “off the clock” work;
  • Misclassifying employees in order to avoid paying overtime work;
  • Engaging in theft, embezzlement or fraudulent activities, including unlawful overbilling of customers;
  • Unlawfully discriminating against others on the basis of age, sex, race, national origin or disability;
  • Fraud in the health care industry such as altering medical records, false billing for medical services, filing false insurance claims;
  • Unsafe patient care;
  • Falsifying employment records.

Additionally, California law protects employees who refuse to comply with unlawful instructions. An employer has no authority to instruct an employee to perform an illegal act. Similarly, an employer may not terminate employees for refusing to perform an illegal act. If, for example, an employer instructs its supervisor to violate health and safety laws but the supervisor refuses, it is unlawful for the employer to then retaliate.

There are many types of retaliation. The most common are:

  • giving the employee unfair performance reviews;
  • demoting the employee;
  • cutting the employee’s hours;
  • taking away the employee’s opportunity to work overtime;
  • giving the employee unfair warnings and discipline;
  • barring the employee from training;
  • excluding the employee from meetings and conferences;
  • labeling the employee “a troublemaker”;
  • refusing to transfer the employee; and
  • terminating the employee.

If you suspect illegal activity in the workplace or have reported suspicious activity to either your employer or a government agency and believe you have suffered any type of retaliation, please contact us for a free initial consultation, and let us put our experience and dedication to work for you. We will evaluate your situation and explain your legal options.

Client Reviews
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Hicks & Hicks are the best! Down to earth,very professional and consistent. I am completely satisfied with the outcome of my case, I know have a voice at work. Wayne
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Eugenia and Rick Hicks were amazing! When I felt there was no hope with an employer taking advantage and violating the laws Eugenia and Rick stepped in and shinned their light and gave me hope! One on one personal attention listening, returning calls immediately and fighting for me. Not only are they kind and down to earth they have Integrity! Amie
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Great overall experience. Eugenia and Rick are thorough, professional and clear, easy to understand the legal process, quick response time. There was absolutely no hassle for me. They kept me up to date and checked in on me throughout the case. They take care of everything! Completely recommend for employment cases and there's a bonus Eugenia speaks Spanish which made me feel comfortable... Lilly