If you see a violation of laws or regulations in your workplace, you have the right to report it. However, many employees may not report unlawful behavior for fear of retaliation, such as losing their job. But that’s where the The New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA) comes in. This state law protects whistleblowers from retaliation after they have objected to an unlawful action in their workplace. So, in today’s blog, we’ll cover the types of activities that CEPA protects, and where to find an effective CEPA lawyer.

Why CEPA Exists

First, we mentioned this a little above, but why does this law exist in the first place? For example, let’s say you work in the medical or counseling field. Then, you observe your boss billing their insurance for services they didn’t receive or didn’t need. What do you do?

Or, let’s say you work in IT and your boss asks you to expedite a project in such a way that would violate the privacy of your customers. Furthermore, perhaps they’ve threatened you if you don’t fall in line. To illustrate, this can include:

• Termination
• Demotion
• Suspension
• Harassment
• Pay cut
• And more.

Thus, these are the very situations which CEPA addresses, and the retaliation they protect against. Therefore, a quality CEPA lawyer will know this law and how to use it in your favor.

CEPA Protection

Second, what types of activities does CEPA protect? Well, you’re protected whether you need to disclose illegal activity, testify for an investigation, testify before an organization like OSHA. Additionally, if you simply refuse to conduct your job in an illegal way. Consequently, a quality CEPA lawyer can protect you under this law. So, according to the law, an employer cannot retaliate against you if you…

• Disclose to a public body an activity, policy, or practice of the employer that you reasonably believe is in violation of a law, or constitutes improper quality of patient care.
• Provide information to, or testify before, any public body conducting an investigation, hearing, or inquiry into any violation of law.
• Supply information involving deception of, or misrepresentation to, any shareholder, investor, client, patient, customer, employee, former employee, retiree, or pensioner of the employer or any governmental entity.
• Provide information regarding any perceived criminal or fraudulent activity, policy, or practice of deception or misrepresentation which you reasonably believe may defraud any shareholder, investor, client, patient, customer, employee, former employee, retiree, or pensioner of the employer or any governmental entity.
• Object to any activity, policy, or practice which you reasonably believe violates the law or is fraudulent.

The Best CEPA Lawyer You Can Find

Finally, where can you find a competent CEPA lawyer? Thankfully, you don’t have to look any further than Mark Catanzaro. He has handled many employment-related cases, including CEPA, ADA (American with Disability Act), Wage and Hour, Restrictive Covenants, and Wrongful Termination. So contact his offices today for a consultation!