Fort Lauderdale Whistleblower Lawyers

Aggressive Trial Attorneys Fighting for Your Rights in Florida

If you discover unethical or even unlawful activity occurring where you work (whether it is a company or a government) and you refuse to participate in it or you report it under The False Claims (FCA), you are what is known as a “whistleblower.” In Florida and elsewhere, it is illegal for an employer to fire or harass you for reporting something that is illegal; this is known as whistleblower protection.

At The Amlong Firm, we understand workplace retaliation and whistleblower protection. We also have access to experts who understand it. Our employment law attorneys are aggressive advocates who are here to help when you have suffered wrongful termination or other adverse employment actions simply for doing the right thing. Our opponents know we are willing to go to trial. Because of this, we obtain settlements that are generally better than those obtained by lawyers with a reputation for being hesitant to go to court.

Need whistleblower protection? Consult with a Fort Lauderdale whistleblower attorney at (954) 953-5490 today.

State & Federal Laws Protecting Whistleblowers

Whistleblowers are those individuals who refuse to participate in or who report wrongdoing on the part of an employer that could include:

• Various types of fraud
• Waste
• Abuse
• Danger to public health and safety
• Corruption

Examples of fraud at the government level can include that committed against military contracts, against Medicare, and against other government programs. Fraud or illegal activity committed by other employers can include violating environmental regulations, securities, grant, or tax laws, or committing accounting fraud.

As a whistleblower, you are protected by various federal and state laws. The False Claims Act protects whistleblowers who expose fraud against the government. The Whistleblower Protection Act has established protections for federal employees reporting fraud or other misconduct committed at the federal level. Florida’s Whistleblower Act is a state law that protects both private and public whistleblowing employees from any type of retaliation committed against them by their employers. Under Florida’s law, as an employee you may bring a lawsuit against your employer for back pay, benefits, and lost wages as well as other damages.

Florida Whistleblowing Protection Laws

Florida follows the at-will employment laws that say that employees can be fired at any time for any reason. However, there are exemptions to this rule.

They come from either the Common Law or from the Legislative Statues:

• Common Law: In Florida an employer may terminate an employee at any time for any reason, unless the termination is in violation of a statute.
• Statuary Protection: There are two main statues that protect an employee. One of which protects public employees while the other protects private employees.
• The Florida Whistle-Blower's Act: protects public employees
• The Florida Private Sector Whistleblower Act: Private employees are protected under. Fla. Stat. Ann. § 448.102.
• Other Protections: Various Florida statutes also include protections against retaliation, including against termination because of the filing of a worker's compensation claim.

If You Speak Up & Get Shut Down Down

You shouldn't have to work in a job environment where illegal things are going on. You also shouldn't have to fear retaliatory discharge from your job if you report something you sincerely believe is against the law or even if you refuse to join in the lawbreaking. For some employers, however, the rule is "speak up and you will get slapped down."

A whistleblower protection claim often involves employer retaliation for reporting something that is illegal or for saying, "No, boss, I won't do that" when the employer asked you to do something illegal. Under Florida’s law, your employer cannot fire, demote, discipline, transfer, reduce your hours or pay, or engage in any other adverse action against you for disclosing information about any illegal activity or suspected illegal activity.

Whistleblower Cases We Have Handled

We have represented clients who faced employer retaliatory firing or ugly treatment after they reported a sexual harassment, discrimination, or wage-and-hour claim. Also, a significant number of clients we represent in the workplace retaliation and whistleblowing area are human resources professionals who urged following the law but whose employers viewed them as traitors. Another large group consists of "finance and insurance" managers from car dealerships who refused to go along with fraudulent loans. Others include people from pharmaceutical sales or physicians' offices who refuse to participate in "kickback" or other schemes that impact Medicare or other tax dollars and clients who experienced retaliation for filing workers' compensation claims or reporting OSHA violations.

As seasoned trial lawyers, we have no problem taking whistleblower claims to court in pursuit of seeking compensation and justice for our clients. That willingness and our extensive experience have earned The Amlong Firm a reputation for legal excellence in employment law throughout South Florida.

Need legal help? Contact us at (954) 953-5490 to arrange to speak with one of our legal team today.