Witnessing or otherwise being aware of inappropriate actions in the workplace can put some employees in difficult situations. They may be wary about reporting the actions due to fears of retaliation for being considered a whistleblower. However, retaliatory efforts against employees should not be allowed, and individuals who believe they have been in similar situations may wish to determine whether taking legal actions could be wise.
An agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement recently filed a complaint after he was reportedly forced to retire. The report stated that the man claimed that another agent had been using company resources inappropriately. After making the claims, he was investigated by the department, which he feels was instigated as a retaliatory effort by the other agent.
The investigation was formally supposed to be looking into claims that the man had mistreated other workers. The man denies that he mistreated anyone, but he was later given the option to resign or face termination. He chose to resign. By filing a complaint on the matter, the man hopes to get his job back and continue working for the department.
Situations in which a worker is facing retaliation can be difficult to work through, especially if a person is facing termination. Parties may feel betrayed after facing negative repercussions for doing what they felt was right. If the retaliatory efforts escalate and/or continue, a Florida worker may want to file his or her own complaints and seek legal action in order to hopefully rectify the situation.
Source: Miami Herald, "High-level Miami FDLE agent files whistleblower complaint", David Ovalle, Jan. 20, 2015