California Qui Tam Whistleblower Protections and Compensation

The government recognizes that whistleblowers undertake immense personal and professional risks by reporting their employer’s fraudulent actions. In light of this, whistleblowing laws provide whistleblower protection and possible financial rewards to employees who have reasonable cause of violations or noncompliance with federal or California rules.

The False Claims Act, also known as Lincoln’s law, allows a private citizen or employee to file suit against anyone actively and intentionally defrauding the government. These actions are called qui tam lawsuits.

Thousands of California whistleblowing cases have resulted in successful qui tam lawsuits that rewarded employees who took the risk of reporting fraud and recovered funds for the government. The False Claims Act provides the following protections and benefits for whistleblowers:

Employee whistleblower protection

Many qui tam whistleblowing cases are handled “under seal,” meaning that the Department of Justice investigates the fraud in secret until more information is gathered. This allows an employee to report illegal acts without fear of their actions being disclosed.

Monetary compensation

Qui tam whistleblowing cases are typically closed through settlements, although they can go to trial if need be. Once a settlement or verdict is given, the whistleblowing employee could receive up to 30 percent of the recovered money.

For whistleblowers, laws in California include California Labor Code Section 1102.5 and Senate Bill (SB) 496. These laws for whistleblowers prohibit employers in California from retaliating against workers who report state or federal law violations or who internally or externally report law violations. SB 496 also prohibits the establishment of any employer policies that may prevent workers from whistleblowing, among other legal protections for California whistleblowers.

What Does a Whistleblower Do?

There have been many different types of whistleblowing cases, as companies or individuals can perpetrate different types of unlawful and illegal practices against the California or federal government. Some common whistleblowing cases usually involve one or more of these acts of fraud:

  • Submitting invoices for services and products that were not provided
  • Avoiding taxes or licensing fees
  • Withholding payments or reimbursements to customers
  • Engaging in discriminatory or unlawful hiring practices

If you have been witness to any of these practices in your workplace, get whistleblower protection and talk to a whistleblower attorney about how to proceed.

Whistleblower Attorney Protecting California Whistleblowers from Retaliation

Whistleblowing laws in California provide avenues for whistleblowers to report fraud safely without fear of retaliation from employers. Possible acts of whistleblower retaliation in the workplace by employers include wrongful termination, demoting, threatening, harassing or suspending workers who blow the whistle by disclosing information of public concern to government agencies.

If you are considering whistleblowing, it is essential that you have experienced legal counsel on your side. To protect your rights and your career, contact a whistleblower attorney at our California employment law firm today.