Whistleblower

Whistleblower Defined
1.    A whistleblower refers to any individual who raises a concern or brings about an injustice or illegal action that is present in an organization, a company, or any body of people.

2.     Most ‘whistleblowing’ cases are initiated bya person who is in some way employed or a member of the entity that is being accused of the illegal action.
3.    The alleged conduct--which is at the forefront of a ‘whistleblowing’ instance--may take the form of a number of illegal actions. Typically the issue which precipitates the whistleblowing revolves around a violation of a specific law, rule, regulation, or a direct threat to the greater public interest (such as health/safety violations, fraud, or corruption.)
4.    A whistleblower is defined as any person who reveals (to the public entity or official) illegal or harmful actions of a larger entity.
5.    The way in which a whistleblower reveals such actions also fluctuates; a whistleblower make their allegations internally (to other people within the underlying organization) or externally (informing law enforcement agencies, the media, or government agencies to the concerned issues.)
6.    In most instances, the whistleblower will reveal matters internally—a whistleblower, typically reports misconduct to a fellow employee or superior within the particular organization.
7.    In most instances, a whistleblower will take action when the behavior is reaching a tipping point—this usually concerns the infiltration of a complaint system which will yield a choice for individuals, including an option that offers the whistleblower complete confidentiality. As a result of this characteristic, the primary impediment that prevents a whistleblower from revealing illegal conduct is the thought of retaliation on the part of the alleged organization.

Legal Protection offered to Whistleblowers
1.    Legal protection for whistleblowers—in the United States--will vary according to the underlying subject matter of the whistleblowing.
2.    The laws associated with whistleblowing are patchwork; some states have adopted unique regulations associated with the context and subject matter which constitutes whistleblowing.
3.    As a result of these interpretative differences, those who partake in whistleblowing must acknowledge their state’s particular interpretations to accurately determine what constitutes a proper complaint or illegal action.
4.    In general, laws associated with whistleblowing attach particular conduct with protection for the employee. If the allegations are proven and they are severe (attached with a criminal punishment) the whistleblower will be protected from all retaliatory actions undertaken by the corporation or organization.