The US Senate passed a bill on May 8 to expand protections proved to whistleblowers, according to sources. The Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act was passed by a unanimous vote. Now employees are protected if they choose to report any violations of law, rules or federal regulations. The bill also enhances the current employee rights. “Whistleblowers are critical to effective, accountable government,” says Senator Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii. “The American people deserve to know that whistleblowers will be protected when they have the courage to come forward to disclose wrongdoing.” This is another step forward to ensure that workers are comfortable enough to come forward and speak out when an employer does something wrong or dangerous. The bill marks yet another milestone in the Government Accountability Project (GAP). The mission of the GAP is to “promote corporate and government accountability by protecting whistleblowers, advancing occupational free speech, and empowering citizen activists.” If…
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Los Angeles Employment and Labor Law BLOG
Senate Extends Whistleblower Protection Act
May 18th, 2012Former Chicago Medical Center Employees Allege Wrongful Termination
May 16th, 2012Six former employees of the University of Chicago Medical Center have filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), according to ChicagoBusiness.com. The former employees claimed they were wrongfully terminated after taking leave for 12 weeks. The former workers filed the complaints with the EEOC separately between 2008 and 2010. According to the complaints, the hospital violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because the employees were not permitted 12 weeks of unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. “The charges and the EEOC’s investigation to date have shown that the (medical center) may, in violation of the ADA, maintain a blanket policy under which employees are summarily discharged at the expiration of 12 weeks’ leave,” read the EEOC’s official complaint with the U.S. District Court in Chicago. The EEOC attempted to force the hospital to disclose the contact information for the former managers who terminated…
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Kansas City Jury Awards Discriminated Worker $5 Million
May 14th, 2012A former AT&T employee in Kansas City was awarded $5 million in damages for workplace discrimination, according to sources. Susan Bashir filed the lawsuit against her former employer after her boss pulled a scarf off her head in 2008 and exposed her hair, which is against her religion. The award is the largest Missouri history for a workplace discrimination suit. $120,000 of the award was for lost wages, the rest was for damages. According to court documents, Bashir claimed that her work environment turned hostile immediately after she converted to Islam. “I was shocked. I thought ‘What is going on?’” Bashir told reporters. “Nobody ever cared what I wore before. Nobody ever cared what religion I was before.” Bashir worked for AT&T in Kansas City for 10 years before she was terminated. She was subjected to a hostile work environment for her final 3 years. Bashir will not receive the…
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Jury Rules in Favor of Defendant in Wrongful Termination Lawsuit
May 11th, 2012A jury in Colton, California ruled in favor of the defendant in a wrongful termination lawsuit recently, according to sources. Former Colton Police Chief Ken Rulon alleges he was wrongfully terminated and filed the lawsuit against the Colton Police Department in 2007. Rulon alleges he was terminated after he reported the corrupt practices of certain city officials to the Colton District Attorney’s Office. Rulon reported city credit card abuse by a councilman. According to reports, Rulon testified that former Councilman Ramon Hernandez charged to the city credit card thousands of dollars spent on motel stays with a lover and calls to telephone sex lines. Hernandez was eventually charged with 24 felonies and sentenced to 180 days in jail. The city maintained that Rulon was aware of the abuse for one year before he reported it, and cited that as the reason for the termination. Subordinates also accused Rulon of sexual…
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