You may have a cause of action against your employer or the government if you report certain activities through the proper channels. The laws protecting you are called Public and Private "Whistle Blower" laws.
PUBLIC: This area of the law seeks to prevent employers from taking retaliatory action against and employee who reports to an appropriate agency violations of law on the part of a public employer or independent contractor that create a substantial and specific danger to the public's health, safety, or welfare. This also includes an employee reporting improper use of a governmental office, gross waste of funds, or any other abuse or gross neglect of duty on the part of an agency, public officer, or employee.
PRIVATE: An employer may not take any retaliatory personnel action against an employee because the employee has: 1) Disclosed, or threatened to disclose, to any appropriate governmental agency, under oath, in writing, an activity, policy, or practice of the employer that is in violation of a law, rule, or regulation. (This subsection does not apply unless the employee has, in writing, brought the activity, policy, or practice to the attention of a supervisor or the employer and has afforded the employer a reasonable opportunity to correct the activity, policy, or practice); 2) Provided information to, or testified before, any appropriate governmental agency, person, or entity conducting an investigation, hearing, or inquiry into an alleged violation of a law, rule, or regulation by the employer; 3) Objected to, or refused to participate in, any activity, policy, or practice of the employer which is in violation of a law, rule, or regulation.
PRIVATE: An employer may not take any retaliatory personnel action against an employee because the employee has: 1) Disclosed, or threatened to disclose, to any appropriate governmental agency, under oath, in writing, an activity, policy, or practice of the employer that is in violation of a law, rule, or regulation. (This subsection does not apply unless the employee has, in writing, brought the activity, policy, or practice to the attention of a supervisor or the employer and has afforded the employer a reasonable opportunity to correct the activity, policy, or practice); 2) Provided information to, or testified before, any appropriate governmental agency, person, or entity conducting an investigation, hearing, or inquiry into an alleged violation of a law, rule, or regulation by the employer; 3) Objected to, or refused to participate in, any activity, policy, or practice of the employer which is in violation of a law, rule, or regulation.
At the Law Office of Attorney Erik Rosskopf we
represent injured people throughout Georgia and north and central Florida, including people
in Atlanta, Savannah, Brunswick, Jacksonville, Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Orange Park, Yulee, Callahan, Starke, Palatka, Orlando,
Daytona Beach, Gainesville, Melbourne, Tampa, Tallahassee, Lake City, St.
Augustine, Miami, Ponte Vedra Beach, Panama City, Duval County, Clay County,
Baker County, St. Johns County, Nassau County, Volusia County, Flagler
County, Alachua County, Orange County, Columbia County, and Bay County.