It is illegal for employers to retaliate against employees for exercising protected rights and complaining about discrimination. Unfortunately, this legal protection does not always prevent employers from unlawfully terminating or demoting employees. If you encounter retaliation for whistleblowing or another protected activity (such as complaining about discrimination), the experienced employment retaliation attorneys of Deutsch Atkins & Kleinfeldt, P.C. in Hackensack can help. We are one of New Jersey’s largest plaintiff-side employment law firms. Each of our partners has more than 30 years of experience in employment matters, and we have secured compensation and injunctive relief for many victims of unlawful retaliation.
The New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA) offers generalized protection against employer retaliation. CEPA is meant to stop an employer from retaliating against an employee who does any of the following:
CEPA also provides protections for licensed and certified health care professionals who draw attention to improper quality of care, cooperate with an inquiry regarding quality of patient care or object to employer activities that may reasonably constitute improper quality of care. Furthermore, whistleblower protections are afforded to employees who report possible unlawful activity of an entity with whom the employer has a business relationship.
An employee who makes a disclosure to a governmental agency is only protected by CEPA if he or she first brings the concern to a workplace supervisor in writing and gives the employer reasonable time to respond and take corrective action. Exceptions to this rule are made if the employee reasonably believes that at least one supervisor is already aware of the activity, or if the worker fears disclosure would create a risk of physical harm.
A CEPA lawsuit must be filed within one year of an employer’s retaliatory action. Our attorneys can help you file your retaliation claim and seek legal remedies such as job reinstatement, back pay and restored benefits. In severe cases, a plaintiff can collect punitive damages.
Several laws and court rulings have established protections for New Jersey employees whose cases do not fit into the confines of CEPA. You may be able to pursue justice on grounds related to one of the following:
We can help you determine the best path forward for reporting misbehavior and pursuing a retaliation claim.
The attorneys of Deutsch Atkins & Kleinfeldt, P.C. in Hackensack, New Jersey help workplace retaliation victims pursue legal remedies. To schedule a confidential consultation with a supportive lawyer, call 551-245-8894 or contact us online.