Palm Beach Whistleblower Retaliation Lawyer
If a Palm Beach County employer punished you for reporting illegal conduct, cooperating with an investigation, or refusing to break the law, Florida’s Private Whistleblower Act may protect you. Ave Maria Law Center is led by a trial lawyer and former Florida Assistant Attorney General who represents employees, never employers, in whistleblower retaliation cases across the county.
Florida’s Private Whistleblower Act — § 448.102
Florida Statutes § 448.102 makes it unlawful for a private employer with ten or more employees to retaliate against an employee for any of three protected activities: reporting the employer’s illegal activity to a government agency, providing information or testimony in an investigation of the employer, or objecting to and refusing to participate in conduct that violates a law, rule, or regulation. Demotions, suspensions, and pay cuts count as retaliation, not just firings. The full statute, the notice rule, and remedies are laid out on our Florida whistleblower retaliation resource.
Whistleblower retaliation in Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County’s employment base runs from the healthcare systems and financial-services firms of West Palm Beach and Boca Raton to construction across a county that has grown relentlessly, to the agricultural operations around Belle Glade and the western communities. Each sector carries its own web of laws, rules, and regulations — healthcare billing standards, securities and banking compliance, building codes and safety rules, and labor and environmental requirements in the fields. When an employee inside these industries reports a violation or refuses to participate in one and the employer answers with a termination, demotion, or a vanishing schedule, § 448.102 is the tool built for it.
State-law whistleblower cases for Palm Beach County employees are generally filed in the circuit court for Florida’s Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in West Palm Beach. When federal claims are joined, a case may proceed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
The written-notice rule and the deadline
For claims based on reporting the employer to a government agency, the law generally requires that you first brought the problem to the employer in writing and allowed a reasonable opportunity to correct it. And suit must be filed within two years of discovering the retaliatory action, or four years after it was taken, whichever comes first. Our statewide whistleblower page explains both rules — the short version is: document everything and don’t wait.
Palm Beach whistleblower FAQ
I gave information in a state investigation of my employer and was demoted. Is that protected?
Yes — providing information to, or testifying before, a governmental agency or entity investigating the employer is its own protected activity under § 448.102, and it does not carry the written-notice requirement that applies to agency reporting. A demotion that followed your cooperation can support a claim.
What can I recover in a Florida whistleblower case?
Florida law allows a court to order reinstatement to your position, restoration of benefits and seniority, compensation for lost wages and benefits, and other compensatory damages. What a particular case supports depends on its facts — that’s part of what a free case review sorts out.
Where would my Palm Beach County case be filed?
Generally in circuit court in Florida’s Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in West Palm Beach; cases involving federal claims may proceed in the Southern District of Florida. Venue depends on the facts of your case.
Do you take Palm Beach County cases from your Ave Maria office?
Yes. We serve the entire county from Ave Maria. Whistleblower cases are document- and timeline-driven, and the free initial consultation is handled by phone.
Talk to a Palm Beach whistleblower lawyer
If you were punished at work for doing the right thing, find out where you stand. Free, confidential consultation. Serving West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, and all of Palm Beach County from our Ave Maria office — see also our Palm Beach civil rights and employment page and our Palm Beach personal injury page. Call 1-855-RAY-CHRIS (855-729-2474).
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