Can I be a Whistleblower If My Employer Did Not Violate the Law?

Yes, you are still considered a whistleblower in NJ. Your employer can not fire you if you had a reasonable belief that it violated the law or otherwise endangered the public. New Jersey’s whistleblower law, the Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA), is the most far-reaching such law in the country. CEPA wants to encourage conscientious employees to report questionable conduct to protect the public from unsafe, illegal, or fraudulent conduct. To spur such reports, it does not require you to know the nuances of the law; an employee need have only a reasonable belief that her employer violated the law.

Dated: April 14, 2010 – Castronovo & McKinney – Paul Castronovo

About the Author

Tom McKinney is an experienced NJ Employment Lawyer in all major areas of labor and employment law, including discrimination, harassment, overtime violations, wage and hour claims, sexual harassment, wrongful discharge, Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, LAD, FLSA, and all other employment law claims. Tom is admitted to practice in the States of New Jersey and New York, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Southern District of New York, District of New Jersey, and United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Prior to forming the firm, Tom practiced at Gibbons P.C. in Newark, NJ. If you have any questions regarding this article, contact Tom here today.