How the Illinois Whistleblower Act Protects You from Wrongful Termination
Jan. 27, 2021
Illinois is a state that has ‘“at-will employment”, which means that an employer can fire an employee at any time irrespective of the reason behind the termination. This can lead to problems but there is an exception to this rule in the state called the Whistleblower Act.
What Is the Whistleblower Act?
The Illinois Whistleblower Act protects and rewards employees who expose corrupt practices in their workplace or wrongdoings. The Act also protects them against retaliation if their employers find out about their complaints by prohibiting them from doing it.
Employers cannot retaliate against employees who:
Take part in an investigation to reveal illegal activity or refuse to take part in something that violates state laws.
Reveal information to law enforcement that they believe can violate state laws and regulations.
Before disclosing any information, employees should make sure that they are 100% correct in their estimations. This includes determining whether the issues and activities can be interpreted as violations or not. If they fail to do this and their information turns out to be false, the Act cannot protect them against libel.
Prohibited Acts by Employers
Prohibited Acts by Employers
As per the Illinois Whistleblower Act, employers are prohibited from doing the following:
Retaliating against employees who disclose certain information that incriminates them.
Create, adopt, or implement any company policy that prevents employees from disclosing information to the government or a federal agency if they believe they are breaking the law.
Please note that you cannot claim punitive damages under the Act. However, you can file a lawsuit of retaliatory discharge in court within 5 years of that act. Just make sure that you have an Illinois employment law attorney by your side from the Law Office of Michael T. Smith.
We understand these concerns and can help you get the compensation you deserve. We have been working for clients like you for close to three decades and know what it takes to win cases where the chips seem as if they are stacked against you.
During that time, we have managed to create an impressive track record of over 500 employment cases that were fought in federal court. This includes cases against powerful adversaries such as Fortune 500 company execs who can get quite aggressive, but who we never back down against. Get in touch with us for a consultation in Schaumburg, Illinois today!