As an employee, you may have noticed that unethical business practices are common in your workplace. If you want to change these practices and alert proper authorities to the actions occurring, you may want to become a whistleblower.
A whistleblower is someone willing to report abuse, fraud, waste or corruption and is usually someone who already works within the organization where the wrongdoing occurs. If you want to blow the whistle on an incorrect practice at work, there are many common myths about whistleblowing that may deter your decision.
Your career ends after whistleblowing
You may not want to report unethical practices at work out of concern for the future of your career. However, there are protections in place that can preserve your career after you alert authorities to what is going on in your workplace. For example, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s whistleblower protection laws, your employer cannot retaliate against you for alerting others to a situation.
Whistleblowing is something only done for attention
Some think that whistleblowers only report issues out of a desire for attention. But most whistleblowers are ordinary people with a desire to put a stop to fraud, abuse and other harmful practices at work.
Whistleblowing only exists in the government
Many whistleblowing cases have arisen in the government, but whistleblowing can happen in all industries. If you see, hear or experience something at work that should not happen, you can report it, regardless of your industry.
Whistleblowing can often put an end to unethical behavior in the workplace, but you may still face consequences for calling out the situation. If you face retaliation or unfair treatment for whistleblowing at work, take legal action to protect your interests and the future of your career.