By Richard M. Pescatore, Esq.
You generally have one year to file a whistleblower lawsuit in New Jersey. The deadline comes from the Conscientious Employee Protection Act, or CEPA, and it runs from the retaliation, not from the day you reported the problem. Miss it and you can lose the claim, however strong.
When the clock starts
If you were fired, the year runs from the last day you were paid a regular salary or wage. It does not run from the day you got notice, and severance does not extend it. If you were punished more than once, each action can raise its own timing question, so write down every date.
The exception that matters most
Filing a CEPA suit gives up other claims that depend on the same retaliation. If your facts also support a claim under the Law Against Discrimination, which has a two-year deadline, how you file matters as much as when.
What to do now
Write down what you reported, who you told, and what happened next. Then talk to a lawyer well before the year is up. Read more about CEPA whistleblower claims.
Deadlines depend on the facts of each case. This post is general information, not legal advice.