Chicago, IL Employee Whistleblower Lawyer

Attorney for Employees Fired in Retaliation in Cook County, Illinois

Most employees feel a moral obligation to speak up when illegal or unethical conduct occurs in the workplace. Unfortunately, doing the right thing can often mean being subjected to a hostile work environment or even losing your job. If you have been fired by an Illinois employer for reporting illegal or unethical conduct at your job, you may have a whistleblower retaliation case against your employer.

At Sinson Law Group, we have a successful track record representing clients for whistleblower/retaliatory discharge claims and other types of employment discrimination in Illinois. Attorney Kent Sinson has proudly fought for the rights of workers for many years. Kent and his team work hard to provide the personalized service our clients deserve. We take the time to thoroughly examine the specifics of each case and explore every potential legal avenue toward a favorable result.

Whistleblower Retaliation Claims in Illinois

Several state and federal laws protect employees who report certain types of information about an employer to law enforcement or government agencies from retaliation. In general, protections are available for workers who report:

• Violations of Federal or State Law: Under the Illinois Whistleblower Act, an employer is not allowed to terminate or otherwise retaliate against an employee who discloses suspected violations of the law, and they are prohibited from implementing policies that prevent employees from making such disclosures. The employee does not need to prove conclusively that the violation occurred; they need only to have reasonable suspicion that it occurred. Employers are also prohibited from retaliating against an employee who refuses to participate in illegal activity.
• Discrimination or Harassment: An employer is not allowed to terminate or otherwise retaliate against an employee for complaining to the employer, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), or the Illinois Department of Human Rights about discrimination or harassment that is prohibited by state or federal law.
• Health, Safety, and Environmental Violations: An employer may not terminate or otherwise retaliate against an employee for reporting any health or safety hazards, such as the presence of toxic substances in the work environment.
• Workers' Compensation: An employer may not terminate or otherwise retaliate against employees who exercise their rights to workers' compensation.
• Wage and Hour Law Violations: An employer may not terminate or otherwise retaliate against employees who complain about violations of state and federal wage and hour laws.

Whistleblower/Qui Tam Cases

Qui tam lawsuits are actions brought under the False Claims Act (FCA), a federal law that provides a financial incentive to whistleblowers who help the government recover lost funds due to fraud. Under the FCA, the private citizen who discovers the fraud (also known as the "relator") sues the alleged wrongdoer on behalf of the government. The qui tam complaint is filed under seal and kept secret for 60 days to give the government time to investigate the claim. If the government decides to move forward with the case, the relator is generally entitled to receive between 15% and 25% of the funds recovered. The FCA is a very complicated law. If you believe you might have a qui tam case, be sure to work with an attorney who has specific experience in this area of the law.

Speak with a Strong Chicagoland Area Whistleblower and Retaliatory Discharge Lawyer

Workplaces should be clean and safe. If an employer is engaged in unethical and/or illegal conduct, they are the ones who should be punished, rather than the whistleblower who is trying to do the right thing. Sinson Law Group understands this, and we put our extensive experience to work to advocate aggressively for the rights of workers who have faced whistleblower retaliation. For a free consultation with our office, contact us today at 312-332-2107. We serve clients in Chicago, Cook County, Skokie, Maywood, Rolling Meadows, DuPage County, Lake County, and Will County, Illinois.