Georgia Employment Law Blog

You might suspect that someone in your company is committing a form of wrongdoing, but you either lack the proof or you fear that reporting it may come back to you in the form of retribution. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon fear for those working in government positions. Government fraud is also common, ranging from untruthful benefits recipients to employees or managers defrauding the entities they work for. Your connection to government work in Georgia makes it important to understand the different types of fraud that can cost the government - and consumers - billions of dollars.

Government fraud is largely financially-driven. For example, health care practitioners might receive additional compensation by providing false or misleading information on their claims forms, or ordinary consumers may be dishonest in filling out applications or reporting changes in their income to receive government benefits. Some of the types of government fraud you might witness can include the following:

• Medicaid and Medicare fraud - false claims by recipients, health care practitioners overcharging for services or prescriptions
• Health care, hospital and pharmaceutical fraud - practitioners overcharging or charging for services not rendered, charging for patients who do not exist, charging for a service that was medically unnecessary, charging for an expensive prescription when the drug was a generic version
• Financial industry fraud - money laundering, false or fraudulent mortgage claims through the Federal Housing Administration, false certification of eligibility for government funding, failing to follow funding regulations
• Construction fraud - providing substandard materials and workmanship, falsifying documents and progress reports, not following contract regulations, accepting bribes or illegal kickbacks
• Energy fraud - falsifying research data or other information for grant purposes, defrauding the government of gas and oil royalties, using grant money for personal reasons

There are many reasons why women from a range of industries choose to remain silent. However, it is important for these women to remember that they always have a place to turn to.

No one should have to tolerate sexual harassment, and yet, many do.

If you see wrongdoing at your company, you might understandably be hesitant to report it to your superiors or the authorities. Throughout recent history, many of those who report fraud, corruption or illegal activity at their places of employment have suffered negative consequences. These whistleblowers might have been demoted, transferred to an unfavorable facility, lost benefits or lost their jobs. Some have even been threatened with jail or been made to feel as if their lives were at risk. You and other Georgia residents should be able to right a wrong without having to fear the consequences.

The False Claims Act is a law meant to protect you and others who report a person or organization that is defrauding the U.S. government.

With many claims of sexual harassment against powerful men in Hollywood and politics having surfaced in the news, now is a watershed moment for reporting such incidents. If you have been sexually harassed in the workplace, you do not have to stay silent; there are many things you can do to stand up to this type of behavior.

The following suggestions are different ways you can take action against sexual harassment in the workplace and stand up for your rights. Those who perpetuate this kind of behavior often benefit from their victims staying silent, and this enables them to continue their behavior against others with impunity.