The law protects employees who, under certain circumstances, bring to the attention of the employer violation of the law, or perceived violations of the law, whether they be safety violations, unhealthful or hazardous working conditions, or illegal activity.
Employees who ”blow the whistle” may not be fired, or retaliated against as long as the employee has a reasonable basis for his or her belief that the activity was or is illegal, even if the employer didn’t violate the law.
Under the federal False Claims Act, an employee may initiate a claim against his/her employer if he/she believes the employer is cheating the federal government. Said claim is known as a Qui Tam claim. If successful, the employee will receive a portion of the money that the government recovers from the employer engaging in the unlawful activity. The filing of a Qui Tam claim protects you from any retaliation by your employer arising from said filing.