CEPA is an acronym for the Conscientious Employee Protection Act. CEPA is commonly referred to as the New Jersey whistleblower statute. Its provisions begin at N.J.S. 34:19-1. As explained on this page, CEPA protects New Jersey whistleblowers from wrongful termination, wrongful demotion in salary or position, and other forms of retaliation.
CEPA, gives New Jersey employment lawyers powerful legal tools. These tools protect New Jersey whistleblowers who “report” illegal practices of employers. This “whistleblowing” can be to an employee's supervisor, or to a government official. The government official can be an official of the federal government, State government, or local government. It can be to a judge, to a regulatory agency, or to a law enforcement agency.
The protection that CEPA provides to New Jersey whistleblowers is considerable.
CEPA forbids New Jersey employers to retailiate against whistleblowers when the whistleblowing was of a kind that CEPA protects. “Retaliate” includes firing, suspending, or demoting an employee. When a New Jersey employer violates CEPA and retaliates against the whistleblowing employee anyway, CEPA provides powerful remedies to the whistleblower. Among the remedies that CEPA makes available to successful New Jersey whistleblowers are reinstatement to their former positions of employment with full back pay, plus attorney's fees and costs of suit.
While CEPA provides powerful legal tools, the statutes also contain many requirements and exceptions. Allan Marain is familiar with those requirements and exceptions. He is available for a consultation to New Jersey whistleblowers who have been punished for their whistleblowing. Persons who believe they have been subjected to such retaliation should call him.