Anti-Retaliation Laws Protecting Nurses and Other Hospital and Healthcare Employees in California

California law includes a number of provisions that protect employees of hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities from retaliation and discrimination against them for complaining about patient care and patient safety at their workplace:  

California Health and Safety Code section 1278.5 prohibits any healthcare facility from discriminating or retaliating against any employee for complianing about or initiating an investigation relating to the care, services or conditions of that facility.  

California Business and Professions Code section 510 prohibits any organization from terminating or otherwise penalizing a healthcare practitioner for protesting  a decision, policy or practice that impairs the practitioner's ability to provide appropriate healthcare to his or her patients. 

California Labor Code section 232.5 prohibits employers from retaliating or otherwise disciplining or terminating an employee for disclosing information about an employee's working conditions.  

California Labor Code section 6310 prohibits employers from discriminating against or terminating an employee 
for complaining to his employer, representative of government agency about health and safety violations.   

The above laws are particularly applicable to those employees who are retaliated for witnessing and reporting safety and health violations as well as patient abuse by doctors or nurses.    

For more information about retaliation, please visit our California Retaliation Law Blog.

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