First off, one important fact to know about Whistle Blower Protection is that you MUST file your claim within 90 days from the adverse employment action. Do not delay!
State Laws Protecting Whistle Blowers
The State of Connecticut has enacted its own statutory whistle blower protections act that provides protection to private employees who report fraud or other crimes against the company they work for. The State of Connecticut also recognizes a common-law action for wrongful discharge in violation of public policy, which means that your employer may not terminate you for reasons that would violate important public policies of the state of Connecticut, such as those that prohibit fraud or other crimes.
What Activities Are Protected?
In general, whistle blower protection laws cover an employee who discloses internally to a supervisor or externally to a State Agency, complaints about the wrongful conduct of their company. The employee must reasonably believe that the actions they are reporting are in violation of some law, rule or regulation. More importantly however, the employee must be able to “prove” they actually filed the complaint and that the company knew that the employee filed the complaint. In response to the employee complaint, the company then took some form of a negative action against the employee for having reported the wrong. Although it is not always possible, the employee should make every attempt to file his or her complaint with a State Agency such as OSHA, the Attorney General’s Office, Department of Labor or other appropriate and relevant State Agency. The employee should also ensure that they file their complaint by fax, certified mail or some other form of communication that is documented.
What Remedies are Available?
Whistle Blower Protection laws may include recovery of back pay, pay for future lost wages, compensatory damages, in some instances placement back into your job and the costs including fee’s associated with the filing of your complaint and out of pocket expenses for representation, such as from Employee Rights.
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Employee Rights is here to guide and help you through your whistle blowers claim. Call us today to discuss your matter and let us help you resolve your issue at the administrative level in a caring, professional and experienced manner. |
