Despite a lot of negative connotations that exist about people speaking out against whistleblowers, they are a valuable part of the thread of the American workplace. Whistleblowers do a lot to help prevent crimes and protect potential victims of a variety of crimes commonly committed.
When someone takes it upon themselves to report the wrongdoings or illegal activities of others or even an entire organization, they are considered to be a “whistleblower”. These disclosures are protected by the law to help encourage whistleblowers to come forward with valuable information and assist the government in identifying and prosecuting those committing the illicit activities.
Aside from the obvious moral benefits and implications of being a whistleblower, there are other benefits that you could enjoy for speaking out against those participating in illegal activities. Being able to sleep at night knowing that you are not assisting to conceal the illegal activities of others, which could be potentially harmful to others is valuable on its own. You could also empower other people that know something to come forward and say something. If you suffer any damages as a result of coming forth with the truth, the laws that have been put into place to protect you will ensure that you are made whole again. However, it is important to understand that you may face some amount of retaliation like loss of employment, wages being garnished, or threats from those that you turned in.
If you have “blown the whistle” or are considering “blowing the whistle” on someone, you need to understand that despite any potential drawbacks, the benefits are far greater and there are laws in place to protect you for coming forward. An experienced attorney will be able to guide you through the process of coming forward and serve to protect your rights from the beginning. If you have already faced retaliation for telling the truth, an attorney will be able to set things into motion to start obtaining you compensation for any and all damages that you have suffered as a result of being a whistlblower.