Whistleblower Rights

Steele Schneider is proud to stand up for the rights of whistleblowers who have the courage to report waste of taxpayer money and wrongdoing public officials or state entities.

Whistleblower Status

Pennsylvania provides whistleblower protection for employees of state employers who report waste and wrongdoing. State employers include actual state employers, including state agencies, departments, bureaus, or authorities; municipal employers, including county employers or school districts; and any employers who receive funding from the state of Pennsylvania. In order to be protected under the Pennsylvania Whistleblower Act, employees must report waste or wrongdoing in good faith and must do so without regard to any personal benefit or motive.

Whistleblower Protection

Pennsylvania protects valid whistleblowers by providing that employers or supervisors of an employee who makes a whistleblower report may not be retaliated against. Retaliation does not have to include actual discipline or termination, but may also include more covert actions engaged in by employers or supervisors designed to interfere with your employment. The Whistleblower act covers this broad range of retaliatory conduct to encourage individuals to report important misconduct by state employers and in recognition of the fact that whistleblowers will often face significant backlash from employers.

The Pennsylvania Whistleblower Act also provides that whistleblowers who prevail in litigation against employers or supervisors who have retaliated against them may obtain the cost of their attorneys' fees as a measure of damages in the case. We always fight to have your attorneys' fees paid by your employer when you have been retaliated against for whistleblowing.

Maintain Your Employment

We recognize the importance to employees of maintaining employment after having blown the whistle and while ongoing litigation is pending. The Pennsylvania Whistleblower Law was enacted so that employees would not be placed in the position of having to choose between reporting waste and wrongdoing and losing his or her employment. Because of our experience handling whistleblower claims, in many situations we are able to work towards an amicable resolution of claims with employers so that employment can continue during and after litigation.

Steele Schneider represents clients throughout Western Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh and surrounding communities. Contact us at 412-235-7682 to arrange a free initial consultation with an experienced Pittsburgh employment law attorney.