Whistleblower
Being a whisteblower and reporting illegal activity takes courage. It isn’t easy standing up for what is right when others won’t. Many times when individuals speak out against conduct they believe is unlawful, they are retaliated against by their employer. Federal and state law provide broad protections for individuals who report unlawful conduct. In Minnesota, the law prohibits retaliation when an employee reports to the government or to their employer what they believe are illegal practices or activities.
The Minnesota Whistleblower Act protects employees from retaliation. Under the Minnesota Whistleblower Act, if an employee makes a report of illegal activity and is retaliated against as a result of that report, they are protected. This is true even if the illegal activity was planned or suspected, and is even true if the illegal activity ended up not being illegal. Oftentimes, when an employee alleges claims of unlawful termination in violation of the Minnesota Whistleblower Act, their employer will claim that the person was terminated or punished in some way for some other reason (i.e., poor performance, bad attitude, violations of company policy), but oftentimes these are used to cover-up retaliation. The law is nuanced and requires careful analysis.
John Conard is ready to protect whistleblowers. If you are concerned about illegal activity at work, or if you have reported illegal activity and believe you are being retaliated against, contact us.