Washington courts and our laws protect you if you report your employer for illegal conduct or conduct that violates public policy. Our courts allow you, as an employee, protections from retaliation when you report your employer’s violations of law or other practices and, as a result of such report, suffer retaliation in the form of dismissal from your job, demotion, or other adverse actions taken against you. If you are fired, this may be grounds for a wrongful discharge claim
Government employees, both at the state and local level, are also protected by specific laws that prohibit retaliation when you report improper government action and suffer retaliation as a result. The Washington State Employee Whistleblower Protection Act (http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=42.40) protects Washington state employees, while the Local Government Employee Whistleblower Protection Act also protects city, county and local government employees (http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=42.41).
In addition to the general protections provided to whistleblowers by the courts and Washington law, many different laws and statutes provide protection to whistleblowers who make reports to specific state agencies. Some of the statutes prevent retaliation when you report that your employer has violated various statutes regarding the following areas:
- Abuse of the mentally ill or elderly
- Reports of discrimination against an employer
- Retaliation for leave requests under the Domestic Violence Leave Act
- Reporting occupational safety problems or violations of Washington’s Industrial Safety and Health Act
- Retaliation for filing a worker’s compensation claim or injury claim with the Department of Labor and Industries
Other statutes and laws may apply depending on the specific circumstances.
If you feel that you are a whistleblower and have been the victim of retaliation after reporting misconduct, improper government action or illegal actions by your employer, contact a lawyer at our firm for a free consultation. We can look at your specific case and help determine if you have a claim.
