A wrongful termination lawsuit filed against Snapchat’s parent company, Snap Inc., by a former employee contains damaging allegations involving the company. The lawsuit accuses the company of wrongful termination and blackballing the former employee by damaging his reputation.
Before being fired, the former employee was in charge of Snapchat’s growth and user engagement team. He alleges Snap fired him after he raised concerns that the company had misled investors with false growth data to raise the price of its IPO (initial public offering). He also claims Snap hired him away from Facebook to steal its confidential proprietary information.
The lawsuit could not come at a worse time for Snap, as it gears up to launch an IPO that could value the company at $25 billion.
What Whistleblower Protections Do California Workers Have?
It is impossible to know at the moment whether the allegations against Snap Inc. are true. However, workers who report the illegal activities of their employers do have state and federal protections against retaliation.
Employers cannot fire, suspend, demote or harass employees who report such concerns to the authorities. Depending on the situation, employers cannot retaliate against employees who report illegal activities to superiors.
It is also against California law for employers to “blackball” former workers. Blackballing is a process where employers attempt to limit the career options of former employees.
Workers who plan on whistleblowing should contact an employment law attorney beforehand. An attorney can help defend the rights and careers of whistleblowers.
The Los Angeles labor law attorneys at the Kesluk, Silverstein, Jacob & Morrison, P.C. can help workers who have been wrongfully fired or harmed by employer retaliation.