Wells Fargo is one of the nation’s largest banks, but it has been embroiled in scandal after revelations that employees illegally opened as many as 2 million unauthorized accounts. The latest shockwave to roil the company came when members of Congress spoke at a recent hearing about how Wells Fargo workers who reported the illegal activities were fired for blowing the whistle.
Rep. Gwen Moore of Milwaukee said a woman who worked for the bank in her district was pushed out after filing a complaint about the unethical sales activities that resulted in the unauthorized accounts.
Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf said he is aware of the allegations and that the company is investigating the charges. “Every one of them, we’re going to work on,” Stumpf said of the workers fired in retaliation.
Moore asked the embattled executive if there has been a fund created to address the financial damages to the workers caused by the retaliatory terminations. CNN reports that the CEO answered indirectly, saying the bank is “taking it very seriously.”
One former bank employee said he was fired a little more than a week after he sent the HR department an email about the unauthorized accounts. “They ruined my life,” he said.
As you know, it is against the law to fire an employee who reports illegal activity. Whistleblowers are protected by federal statute; an experienced Milwaukee attorney can help protect you, your rights and your career by fighting back against employers who try to cover fraud or other unethical activities by firing workers.