A whistleblower is any individual that exposes information or activities that are considered to be illegal and unethical within a private or public organization. Whistleblowers, however, face hostility and resentment from their colleagues and employers.
Whistleblower retaliation statutes protect the informants from the termination of employment, suspension or reduction of salary. The False Claim Act includes qui tam provisions that prohibit the employer from taking adverse actions against the employee. In a case where the employment is terminated, the whistleblower is required to prove the retaliation from the employer. The Act then ensures the reinstatement of the employees to their previous positions where they may be rewarded double the amount of back pay. The Whistleblower Protection Act strengthens the informants' rights by ensuring that the employers are disciplined for retaliating against the whistleblowers (Fisher, 1990).
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The confidentiality of the whistleblowers and the information they disclose is protected. Documents provided during the denunciations conceal all the personal information concerning the informant. In some cases, relevant records and evidence regarding the illegal activities of a particular organization are kept and managed under private mode. The purpose of maintaining the confidentiality of the whistleblowers is to protect them from reprisals and create an environment that encourages future informants to report cases of fraud in an organization. Failure to keep their identity a secret endangers the effectiveness of the entire whistleblower program.
Whistleblowers’ life, dignity, and other personal rights are put to jeopardy after exposing organizations unethical practices. When there are grounds to believe that their lives and reputation are threatened, whistleblowers may request state agencies to administer protection measures depending on the seriousness and nature of the danger ( Vaughn, 1982) . The protection measures include a temporary transfer of the protected individual to a safer place, a request to the organizations concerned to restore honor and dignity of the whistleblowers, an order to the units involved to terminate infringement, and a proposal to the competent individuals to apply administrative penalties.
In conclusion, whistleblowers should be supported to instill their confidence and to encourage potential informants to report cases in the organization that could negatively affect the public.
References
Fisher, B. D. (1990). The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989: A false hope for whistleblowers. Rutgers L. Rev. , 43 , 355.
Vaughn, R. G. (1982). Statutory Protection of Whistleblowers in the Federal Executive Branch. U. Ill. L. Rev. , 615.
