When Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier stood at the microphone during a recent post-game press conference and called out WNBA commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, she wasn’t just voicing frustration over referees. She was putting leadership, and accountability, on notice. Collier’s statement directly addressed Engelbert with numerous player concerns, including game officiating, player safety, and gender pay disparity. Collier’s remarks, delivered in front of cameras and echoed across social media, instantly transcended sports headlines.

However, the sentiments also touched on the same core legal and ethical principles that sit at the heart of New York Labor Law § 740 (NYLL 740), New York’s strengthened whistleblower protection statute. Though Collier’s dispute arose in professional sports rather than corporate America, her decision to publicly call out leadership mirrored the kind of protected activity that New York employees, human resources departments, and compliance officers all navigate in the workplace every day.

The Spirit of NYLL 740: Protecting the Voice That Speaks Up

For decades, NYLL 740 was a relatively narrow law. It primarily shielded healthcare workers or employees exposing public-health dangers. That changed dramatically with the 2022 amendments, which expanded protections to all employees, former employees, and independent contractors who, in good faith, report or object to employer conduct they reasonably believe violates a law or poses a danger to the...

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