Vermont has a strong whistleblower law that protects employees who report suspected wrongdoing in the healthcare industry. The law, known as the Healthcare Whistleblower’s Protection Act, was passed in 2019 and went into effect on July 1, 2020.

The law protects employees who report suspected wrongdoing in the following areas:

• Quality of patient care
• Financial impropriety
• Abuse of patients or residents
• Violations of law or regulation

Employees who report suspected wrongdoing are protected from retaliation, including:

• Firing
• Demotion
• Harassment
• Discrimination

Employees who believe that they have been retaliated against for reporting suspected wrongdoing can file a complaint with the Vermont Department of Labor. The Department of Labor can investigate the complaint and take enforcement action, if necessary.

The Healthcare Whistleblower’s Protection Act is a valuable law that helps to ensure that employees feel safe reporting suspected wrongdoing in the healthcare industry. If you are an employee in the healthcare industry, you should be aware of your rights under this law.

Here are some additional details about the law:

• The law applies to all healthcare providers, including hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics.
• The law also applies to employees of healthcare providers, such as doctors, nurses, and administrators.
• Employees who report suspected wrongdoing are protected even if they are not the ones who directly witnessed the wrongdoing.
• Employees who file a complaint with the Department of Labor are not required to identify themselves.
• The Department of Labor will keep all complaints confidential.

The Healthcare Whistleblower’s Protection Act is a powerful tool that can help to protect patients and ensure that healthcare providers are held accountable for their actions. If you are an employee in the healthcare industry, and you see something that you think is wrong, please speak up. You may be saving a life.