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Whistleblowers may be entitled to large monetary awards

Bay Area employees may have found themselves in a situation in the workplace that warrants speaking out about problems. Sometimes called whistleblowers, employees who point out flaws in a company’s policies or procedures may be subject to unfair treatment. Recently, a woman spoke out in an attempt to keep patients safe, and as a result, she was unfairly fired and her reputation sullied.

The woman was employed by Planned Parenthood, responsible for overseeing several clinics. She noticed that one doctor in particular repeatedly had patients who were suffering injury and side effects after procedures. She also witnessed and reported an underage girl and a man of legal adult age come to one of the clinics, and services were provided despite the fact that the girl was not of legal age and did not have a parent or guardian present.

In an attempt to prevent future patients from unnecessary suffering, she reported the problems to her supervisors on multiple occasions. Rather than handle the problem, the higher-ups turned against the woman. They attempted to make it appear as if the woman was stealing or using narcotics from the clinic. The woman fought back, and Planned Parenthood was forced to pay her $3 million.

Being a whistleblower may be the right thing to do, but employees may fear retaliation. Bay Area employees in a similar situation may want to contact an attorney who is familiar with handling cases involving whistleblowers. An attorney can help a wronged employee speak out in a court of law, and bring a careless or abusive employer to justice.