Commentary by Zebersky Payne Shaw Lewenz, LLP
When an employer is guilty of breaking the law, workers who witness unethical activity sometimes face severe persecution or the loss of their job if they make reports. If you have been the victim of such persecution, you may be entitled to compensation because we handle whistleblower claims.
Thanks, in part, to legislation known as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, corporate whistleblowers are entitled to protection if they report suspected fraud to any one of a number of government organizations, including the Securities and Exchange Commission or Fair Trade Commission. This fraud can include things such as unfair stock trading, money laundering, or fixing a company’s books to show a greater profit than what it actually earned.
Whistleblowers can sometimes uncover other unlawful acts, which can then be reported to other authorities. For example, businesses might be guilty of dumping toxic waste, bribing public officials, or discriminating against certain groups of people. Those who expose these acts risk being passed over for promotions and raises, or fired from their job altogether. In some cases, they may end up as the target of an investigation themselves.
If you’ve uncovered fraud in your workplace, the first thing you should do is to gather as much evidence as possible that would help to prove your case. You should also document any threats or discriminatory behavior that takes place against you as well. Armed with this information, your next step should be to contact us in order to find out if we could assist you with filing a whistleblower claim.