Working for a business that contracts with the government is often a formula for long-term career stability. Government contracts or the ability to accept government medical insurance may ensure a consistent stream of work for a business and the employees working for the company.
Unfortunately, some organizations contracting with the government engage in behavior that endangers the future of the contract and the company, as well as the employees working there. Inappropriate billing practices could lead to fraud allegations against a variety of different types of companies and any workers involved in inappropriate billing.
Health care businesses, railroad companies, construction firms and a host of other companies theoretically engage in fraudulent billing while seeking payment for government contracts. Professionals who are aware of inappropriate billing practices may choose to act as relators by filing qui tam lawsuits. Professionals who have to draw attention to inappropriate billing practices have two key protections under the law.
Protection from retaliation
Whistleblowers generally have robust legal protection. Federal statutes and state laws alike forbid companies from penalizing workers who act as whistleblowers.
Reporting misconduct internally to management or notifying regulatory authorities could make a professional a whistleblower. Qui tam lawsuits also make professionals eligible for whistleblower protection. They should not face termination, demotion or a loss of professional opportunities because they reported misconduct.
The right to compensation
Although the law forbids retaliation in response to whistleblowing, speaking up about company misconduct can affect a professional relationship with an employer and even with coworkers. Records of the whistleblowing activities could turn up during background searches during the hiring process when whistleblowers seek future jobs.
The government acknowledges the potential economic consequences of whistleblowing by allowing relators to receive a portion of the funds recovered in qui tam lawsuits. Relators may receive between 15 and 30% of the funds recovered in a successful lawsuit.
The amount received depends on whether the government becomes involved in the lawsuit. Those funds help offset any diminished earning potential professionals may experience because they initiated a qui tam lawsuit.
Proper documentation and legal support can make a major difference for whistleblowers, including relators intending to initiate qui tam lawsuits. Reviewing circumstances that prompted a qui tam lawsuit with a skilled legal team can help people understand their rights and minimize their vulnerability as workplace whistleblowers.