The Court of Appeals of Minnesota ruled recently, however, that this legal protection will not be extended to a caregiver employed to work with developmentally disabled adults who makes repeated anonymous phone calls to a state agency, to voice her concerns over the system being used by her employer to monitor residents' medications, over one resident seeming to dominate other residents, and over her supervisor's "bossy and unprofessional attitude."

   Thus, according to the court, it was legally permissible for the facility to fire this caregiver, when a co-worker reported her as the one behind the anonymous calls.

   First, to qualify for legal protection from retaliatory action by one's employer for reporting abuse or neglect of vulnerable persons, a formal report must be filed with appropriate officials.

   Second, there must be a good faith belief that abuse or neglect, as defined by law, has happened or continues to take place. Abuse or neglect means depriving a vulnerable person of necessary food, clothing, shelter, health care or supervision, or non-therapeutic conduct producing pain, injury or mental distress, or sexual contact with such a person, or misuse of such a person's assets or possessions.