Can whistleblower protection laws protect me from employment retaliation if it was never proven that the acts that I reported constituted discrimination?

Yes. So long as you reasonably believed that your employer’s actions were in violation of some law or public policy, such as laws prohibiting discrimination in the workplace, whistleblower protection laws will apply. Our experienced lawyers can help you obtain whistleblower status by making the most compelling possible argument that the required “reasonable belief” element was established.

What are some common types of whistleblower claims that gain protection under various whistleblower laws?

Whistleblowers can expose a variety of illegal actions at the employer level, but these claims tend to center upon issues such as tax fraud, accounting fraud, employment discrimination, fraud in the healthcare system, violations of wage and hour laws, failure to pay overtime and more. Importantly, whistleblower protections apply in any case where you reasonably believed that your employer was committing some type of illegal action or violating public policy to protect you from retaliation and adverse employment actions.

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New Jersey Whistleblower Lawyers

Whistleblower Attorneys in Moorestown, NJ Quieting the Unjust with a Loud Voice for the Righteous in Burlington County, Camden County, Gloucester County, and Throughout South Jersey

One of the primary reasons that workplace offenses such as employment discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and other civil rights violations are so complicated to prove is that there is often a lack of evidence to support these claims. Employers often get away with wrongdoing because employees fail to “blow the whistle” for fear of retaliation, termination, or other reprisals. Because of this, strong whistleblower protection laws exist at both the state and federal levels to protect employees who come forward and report employer wrongdoing or simply refuse to participate in those potentially illegal or immoral actions.

Despite strong legal protections, whistleblower cases are often extremely difficult to prove because of many different factors. The employer’s retaliation may be extremely subtle and difficult to establish from an evidentiary standpoint. In other cases, there may be very little tangible written evidence to establish that a whistleblowing activity actually took place.

At Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, our experienced Burlington County whistleblower lawyers have the knowledge, resources, and dedication necessary to successfully establish your right to protection under applicable state and federal whistleblower protection laws. We know that retaliatory actions based on your whistleblower status can have a detrimental effect on your career and your future, and we work tirelessly to protect our clients’ rights and win fair compensation for past retaliation. You should not be punished for doing what you believe to be right, so if you believe you have suffered adverse consequences because of your actions as a whistleblower, contact us to see how we can help protect your rights today.

Legal Basis for Whistleblower Protection in New Jersey

In general, the New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA) provides legal protection for employees who provide information regarding any employer policy they reasonably believe violates any law or public policy. The law also protects those employees who refuse to participate in or object to actions that they reasonably believe would violate the law. However, numerous other legal bases exist to protect New Jersey whistleblowers who report illegal actions or other wrongdoing in the employment context, including:

The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. This law protects employees who report workplace discrimination or testify with respect to discrimination in the workplace from retaliation.
Title VII. At the federal level, Title VII prohibits an employer from workplace retaliation against whistleblowers who report or assist in uncovering discrimination in the workplace.
False Claims Act. Employees who report employers who they believe to be defrauding the federal government are protected from retaliation under the False Claims Act.
The Sarbanes Oxley Act. Sarbanes Oxley protects whistleblowers who report illegal accounting-related activities engaged in by their employers if the employer is a publicly traded company.
IRS Whistleblower Law. Many whistleblower cases center upon reporting an employer’s tax fraud. In these cases, as a whistleblower, you may be entitled to recover between 15 and 30 percent of the funds that are recovered in certain circumstances.

Additionally, it is illegal for an employer to retaliate if you reported or complained about a violation of New Jersey wage and hour laws, or if you claimed workers’ compensation benefits. Further, government employers are prohibited from taking adverse action against public employees who expose issues that are of concern to the general public.

Gloucester County Whistleblower Lawyers Fight to Protect the Rights of Whistleblowers in the Workplace

At Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, our whistleblower lawyers fight to ensure that whistleblowers who have suffered adverse or retaliatory employment actions are fairly compensated. Available compensation in a whistleblower lawsuit may include:

Reinstatement to the workplace
Double the back pay owed as a result of the retaliation
Interest on the back pay
Litigation costs and attorneys’ fees
Punitive damages in some cases

We can also help you understand the timelines and procedures that apply in filing an initial whistleblower complaint under specific legal statutes, such as the Fair Claims Act, and complete all of the necessary documentation in filing that complaint.

Call Today to Schedule a Free Initial Consultation with Skilled Moorestown Whistleblower Lawyers at Attorneys Hartman, Chartered

Whistleblower protection laws apply equally at all levels of employment to protect employees for doing what they believe to be right. At Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, our skilled Moorestown whistleblower lawyers are committed to standing up for the rights of those employees brave enough to challenge the illegal or wrong actions of their employers. Call or contact our offices today to explore options for recovering compensation in your whistleblower case or making a report of an employer’s illegal actions.

Frequently Asked Questions About Whistleblower Cases in Mount Laurel, NJ

Whistleblowers can expose a variety of illegal actions at the employer level, but these claims tend to center upon issues such as tax fraud, accounting fraud, employment discrimination, fraud in the healthcare system, violations of wage and hour laws, failure to pay overtime and more. Importantly, whistleblower protections apply in any case where you reasonably believed that your employer was committing some type of illegal action or violating public policy to protect you from retaliation and adverse employment actions.

Meet Your Team

Katherine D. Hartman, Esquire

Katherine D. Hartman is the Managing Partner in the Moorestown, New Jersey law office of Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, which has been named one of America’s Best Law Firms by U.S. News and World Report. She concentrates her practice in employment discrimination, criminal defense, police disciplinary matters, and other employment law issues. Katie has been practicing law for over thirty years. She was admitted to the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Bars in 1991, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in November of 1993, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in November of 2002, and the Supreme Court of the United States in October of 2002.

Katie has been awarded the highest (AV) rating for professional ability and high ethical standards, by Martindale Hubbell. Additionally, Katie has consistently been voted a Super Lawyer by New Jersey Magazine. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations. She was named one of the Top Forty Lawyers under Forty by the New Jersey Law Journal in 2002.

Michael C. Mormando, Esquire

Michael C. Mormando has been practicing law for over twenty years, and is a Partner at Attorneys Hartman, Chartered. Mike is an active member in the Burlington County Bar Association, he is a former Chair of the Bar Associations’ Criminal Practice Committee, and he formerly served as a member of the Supreme Court of New Jersey District Ethics Committee for Burlington County, District III-B. Mike also served two years as Councilman for Ward 3 in Delran Township, having been elected to the post in the November 2018 general election, and he currently serves as the Chair of the Delran Township Zoning Board.

Mike’s areas of practice include criminal defense, DUI defense, traffic violation defense, employment law, discrimination and whistleblower cases, unemployment compensation appeals, labor representation for collective bargaining units, employment contract review and negotiations, and defense in police disciplinary matters. Mike is approved by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) as a lawyer who can represent law enforcement officers who face disciplinary or criminal charges. Mike also represents small business owners concerning employment issues.

Mark A. Gulbranson, Esquire

Mark A. Gulbranson, Jr., an attorney with Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, has been practicing law for nine years. Prior to joining Attorneys Hartman, Mark was a corporate associate in the gaming practice group of Fox Rothschild, where he represented clients in a range of corporate, regulatory, and real estate matters. Mark served as a judicial clerk for Justice Lee Solomon of the New Jersey Supreme Court, and for Judge George Leone, J.A.D., of the New Jersey Appellate Division.

Mark’s areas of practice include real estate transactions and related litigation, small business counseling and regulatory compliance, domestic violence matters, appellate advocacy, municipal court defense, employment law, discrimination and whistleblower cases, unemployment compensation appeals, employment contract review and negotiations, and defense in police disciplinary matters. Mark handles cases in the New Jersey Superior Court – Law and Appellate Divisions, the New Jersey Supreme Court, the United States District Courts for the Districts of New Jersey and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the Office of Administrative Law, the New Jersey Department of Labor, the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and various municipal courts throughout New Jersey.