Whistleblower Protection Law Firm in Baton Rouge, Louisiana 

Miller & Hilgendorf is a whistleblower protection law firm in Baton Rouge, Louisiana that may be able to help you if you believe you are facing workplace retaliation after reporting wrongdoing on the job. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has laws in place that protect whistleblowers from retaliation from their employers if a worker sees wrongdoing and reports it or if the worker has been asked to take part in an investigation. Employers have an obligation to maintain safe workplaces, to follow federal regulations if the industry is regulated, and to protect their workers from retaliation if the workplace or employer is under investigation. There are whistleblower laws that protect workers in a range of fields, including those in the health industry, the transportation industries, manufacturing, securities, railroads, pipelines, the financial industry, and other industries regulated by the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Acts, and more.

Workers have a right to report violations. For example, if you see your employer acting in a way that could impact worker or public safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, you may have the right to report a violation. Or, if your employer isn’t providing workers with proper safety equipment or proper training, you may have the right to report the violation. If you are asked to participate in an investigation or testify, your employer also cannot retaliate against you. Miller & Hilgendorf is a whistleblower protection law firm in Baton Rouge, Louisiana that may be able to help you if you believe you faced retaliation for making a whistleblower complaint or for reporting a workplace violation.

What is Retaliation? 

Retaliation after you make a whistleblower complaint may not always be obvious. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration lists a range of situations and actions that could be considered retaliation. What are these actions? They include firing you or laying you off for making a whistleblower complaint. If you were demoted or denied a promotion after making a whistleblower complaint, this could also constitute retaliation. Threats, discipline, intimidation, or other forms of harassment are also strictly prohibited. If your pay or hours are suddenly reduced, this could also constitute retaliation.

However, retaliation can also be more subtle. Sometimes it might involve isolating the employee who spoke up, or ostracizing (leaving the employee out) of crucial decisions, not inviting the employee to workplace functions like company lunches or training sessions, events, meetings, and other situations. Sometimes employees retaliate in ways that might mean making your job so difficult or intolerable that you are left with no choice but to quit, like suddenly making you take on more responsibilities or making you work weekends when you previously had weekends off. This can be seen as retaliation if it is done in response to a whistleblower complaint. Another dangerous kind of retaliation occurs if you work in a field where people are interconnected and you are blacklisted in the field—namely, your former employer takes steps to prevent you from working in your field for other companies or other jobs.

Retaliation can have a serious impact on your job and career. If you believe you are suffering from retaliation because you blew the whistle on your employer, you may have the right to report your employer and may even have the right to seek damages. Reach out to the whistleblower protection lawyers at Miller & Hilgendorf in Baton Rouge, Louisiana today.

What is a Whistleblower Complaint? 

Whistleblowing is a term used to describe the actions a worker takes when he or she sees something wrong happen on the job. The wrongdoing could be a safety violation. For example, a truck company that encourages and rewards its employees for breaking hours of service laws. Or it could be a violation of federal regulations and laws that leads to the complaint. Certain types of whistleblower complaints are protected under OHSA’s Whistleblower Protection Program. If an employee sees a worker or employer violate provisions of certain healthcare laws, safe drinking water laws, waste disposal laws, toxic substances laws, food safety laws, and a range of other federal laws, the employee may be able to make a complaint, and be protected from retaliation from their employer.

Have you witnessed wrongdoing on the job? Are you thinking of blowing the whistle, issuing a complaint, or are you fearful that you’ll face retaliation for making a complaint? The whistleblower protection lawyers at Miller & Hilgendorf in Baton Rouge, Louisiana may be able to help you. We can help fight for your rights if you are facing difficulty on the job because you reported wrongdoing.

Protect Your Rights

 With more whistleblowers making national news, more individuals are making the brave choice to step forward and report wrongdoing on the job. While there are laws in place to protect workers who blow the whistle on their employers, sometimes workers still face retaliation for speaking up. If this describes your situation, consider reaching out to Miller & Hilgendorf, a Baton Rouge, Louisiana whistleblower protection law firm that may be able to help you.