Charleston, WV Public Employee Whistleblower Attorneys

How the West Virginia Whistleblower Law Works

West Virginia employees are not covered by the False Claims Act, a federal law that financially incentivizes private employees to sue organizations that are defrauding the government. The False Claims Act also protects eligible whistleblowers from workplace retaliation.

Fortunately, public employee whistleblowers in West Virginia derive protection from retaliation from a separate, state-level law. The West Virginia Whistle-blower Law prohibits retaliation or discrimination against employees who make a good faith effort to report a government agency’s illegal or excessively wasteful behavior.

The West Virginia Whistle-blower Law protects public employees who report many types of misconduct, including:

• Abuse or wasteful misuse of public funds or other resources
• White-collar crimes, such as embezzlement or fraud
• Unethical or dangerous behavior
• Any violation of an applicable state or local statute, regulation, or ordinance

To receive protection under this law, a West Virginia employee must bring their concerns to the appropriate supervisory personnel or official. In other words, the matter must be handled internally. Your agency will not be able to terminate, demote, suspend, or take any other adverse action against you because you came forward.

Fighting Whistleblower Retaliation

Some public employers will still unfortunately attempt to retaliate against whistleblowers. In some cases, retaliation will be obvious: A whistleblowing employee may be terminated for unjustified reasons soon after reporting unacceptable conduct. In other situations, the retaliatory behavior may be more difficult to pin down. A public employer might take steps to isolate a whistleblowing employee or generate spurious reasons to assign them less-desirable tasks. 

You should not have to worry about any level of retaliation when you speak up against unlawful or wasteful activity. If you are fired or treated differently after “blowing the whistle,” you may be entitled to considerable damages under the law. However, you will need to file a lawsuit in State Court before the statute of limitations expires. You may also need to file the proper notice before initiating legal action if you work (or worked) for certain state agencies.

Depending on the unique circumstances of your case, our Charleston public employee whistleblower attorneys will fight to recover compensation for:

• Reinstatement of your position
• Lost wages, including front pay and back pay
• Emotional pain and suffering
• Embarrassment and humiliation
• Punitive damages

Our team at Bailess Law Firm is made up of skilled and aggressive litigators. We will work to hold your employer accountable for retaliatory behavior and fervently pursue the maximum compensation available in your case.

Do not wait to speak to our Charleston public employee whistleblower lawyers if you believe you are a victim of whistleblower retaliation. Contact us online or call (304) 841-0037 to start exploring your legal options today.