Reporting Violations Within Governmental Agencies

The government in California has many functions and many different agencies that must carry out those various functions. These agencies receive their funding from the government and must use it in order to carry out their functions.

However, this does not always occur and funds may be misused. Other times these agencies may not follow the laws, various mandates from the governor or other rules governing the various agencies.

It is not always immediately apparent that the agencies are violating these rules and laws. However, the state employees who work for the various agencies may have knowledge of the illegal activity through their employment. These employees are encouraged to report these violations by filing complaints with the State Auditor.

Once the State Auditor receives a complaint it will begin an investigation into the allegations. The complaint must be clear and state the evidence that will demonstrate the violation of law. This includes stating the departments where the violations are occurring and the individuals responsible for the violations.

The complaint should also identify potential witnesses to the violations and include copies of the documents showing violations. These investigations are confidential. But sometimes employers find out who made the report and retaliate against that person. This kind of retaliation is illegal. Workers are protected from whistleblower retaliation for reporting violations.

This means that if the state agency retaliates against the employee, they may be required to compensate the employee for any damages they suffer including loss income, reinstatement to their former position and others. Experienced attorneys understand employees’ rights in these situations and may be able to help protect them.