The Florida Supreme Court restricted claims that qualify for private sector whistleblower protections Thursday in an opinion that raises the burden of proof for concerned workers.
Worker claims of discrimination for flagging potential legal violations must now undergo a “trial-within-a-trial” process that will validate whether the worker was actually highlighting an employer’s legal violation, Chief Justice-designate John D. Couriel said.
Under the court’s decision workers can be terminated for expressing concerns for policies they think violate the law but don’t actually reach that level, said Couriel, who begins his term as chief justice in July.
To survive a motion ...