Whistleblowers and wrongful termination

Employees of businesses in Wisconsin and around the country are entitled to file reports if they learn that illegal activities are occurring in their workplaces. If the employer fires them as a result, it may be considered wrongful termination.

What is a whistleblower?

A whistleblower is an employee who learns of illegal company activities happening within that company and reports those activities. Often, they are firsthand witnesses to the activity. A whistleblower is often someone who is directly employed by an organization but could also be someone who does business with the company in a third-party capacity.

If an employee of a company is a whistleblower and is fired for reporting the illegal activity, it’s grounds for a wrongful termination claim.

How do the laws protect whistleblowers?

There are federal and state laws in place to protect whistleblowers. It’s illegal for employers to terminate employees who act as whistleblowers by reporting illegal activities taking place in the workplace or violations committed by the employer. An experienced attorney can help a whistleblower file a complaint if they were wrongfully terminated by their employer.

What can an employee do if they were wrongfully terminated?

Employees have rights that protect them if they serve as whistleblowers. It’s against the law for an employer to fire a worker due to whistleblowing as that is considered wrongful termination. It’s also illegal for employers to punish an employee for being a whistleblower. Alan C. Olson & Associates has experience helping whistleblowers take legal action against their employers.