Tennessee Whistleblower Law
Recognizes a public policy exception to the at-will employment doctrine in tort.
Court Decisions:
- Clanton v. Cain-Sloan Co., 677 S.W.2d 441 (Tenn. 1984)
- Gager v. River Park Hospital, 2009 Tenn. App. LEXIS 43 (2009)
- Williams v. Greater Chattanooga Public Television, 349 S.W.3d 501 (Tenn. App. 2011)
- Williams v. City of Burns, 465 S.W.3d 96 (Tenn. 2015) (upholding cause of action)
Statutes:
- Tennessee Public Protection Act, TN Code § 50-1-304
- TN Code § 68-11-903 (nursing homes)
- TN Code § 8-50-116 (public employees)
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tennessee have a False Claims Act (FCA)?
Yes, both the Tennessee False Claims Act, which covers a variety of frauds, and the Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act, which is specific to healthcare fraud.
Does the Tennessee FCA have a whistleblower provision?
Yes. In Tennessee, a false claims whistleblower may receive an award between 25 to 33 percent of the collections in cases where the state intervenes and 35 to 50 percent in cases where there is no state intervention. Award amounts may be decreased if it is found that the whistleblower themselves participated in the fraud.
Does Tennessee recognize the public policy exception for wrongful termination?
Yes. In Tennessee, an employer is prohibited from firing an employee because the employee invoked a right granted by Tennessee public policy.
