Employees sometimes find themselves in a position where they have to seek protection through the whistleblower act. Before reaching this position, it is important to understand what protections are provided and where the laws can be found. There are several different laws that provide these protections that are not part of the official law passed by the U. S. Congress in 1989.
In 1989 Congress passed the original law that protected only federal employees from retaliation should they provide inside information on actions that were violating the laws. Today, many people this this original act applies to people working for any company in the United States. Unfortunately, this is not the case. However, other agencies have adopted similar provisions to protect employees in regulated industries. These reported crimes are usually major and have a serious impact on investors or consumers.
OSHA provides similar protections for laborers under their protection. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration provides similar protections for those who work in dangerous situations. When someone complains about illegal or dangerous workplace environment situations, they are provided anonymity and shielded from reprisals from their employer.
Other agencies have added these protections. For example, the SEC noted that it was important to protect employees with sensitive and damaging information because many corporations were finding it easy to skirt the law, causing damage to investors and consumers. Many agencies have found the need to protect those who are willing to come forward.
Many states have enacted similar laws. In most cases, the federal laws that provide whistleblower protection do so only in the federal arena. States have recognized the importance of protecting those willing to step forward and have added protections for state employees and contractors.
There are limitations when the protections are offered. In most cases, the person is only protected if the information provided is for a serious legal infraction. The issue also may need to be something that was intentional and have a devastating effect. Something that can be construed as minor errors on filings does not fall under these protections.
Employers are not allowed to adversely retaliate against employees. If a person under this protection comes forward, the employer is not allowed to do anything that would adversely affect their career. This includes making threats, denying promotions, or prospects for advancement. These protections are often limited in scope and time to file a grievance.
Even though the original whistleblower act only covers certain federal employees, it started a trend towards offering these same protections in many different industry levels. Regulatory bodies now apply these types of protections to employees through their regulations. The SEC and OSHA are two prominent bodies that extend these protections to many employees that would not be covered under the original law. Keeping businesses honest is now easier because they are aware that employees can come forward if the company is breaking serious laws.
In 1989 Congress passed the original law that protected only federal employees from retaliation should they provide inside information on actions that were violating the laws. Today, many people this this original act applies to people working for any company in the United States. Unfortunately, this is not the case. However, other agencies have adopted similar provisions to protect employees in regulated industries. These reported crimes are usually major and have a serious impact on investors or consumers.
OSHA provides similar protections for laborers under their protection. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration provides similar protections for those who work in dangerous situations. When someone complains about illegal or dangerous workplace environment situations, they are provided anonymity and shielded from reprisals from their employer.
Other agencies have added these protections. For example, the SEC noted that it was important to protect employees with sensitive and damaging information because many corporations were finding it easy to skirt the law, causing damage to investors and consumers. Many agencies have found the need to protect those who are willing to come forward.
Many states have enacted similar laws. In most cases, the federal laws that provide whistleblower protection do so only in the federal arena. States have recognized the importance of protecting those willing to step forward and have added protections for state employees and contractors.
There are limitations when the protections are offered. In most cases, the person is only protected if the information provided is for a serious legal infraction. The issue also may need to be something that was intentional and have a devastating effect. Something that can be construed as minor errors on filings does not fall under these protections.
Employers are not allowed to adversely retaliate against employees. If a person under this protection comes forward, the employer is not allowed to do anything that would adversely affect their career. This includes making threats, denying promotions, or prospects for advancement. These protections are often limited in scope and time to file a grievance.
Even though the original whistleblower act only covers certain federal employees, it started a trend towards offering these same protections in many different industry levels. Regulatory bodies now apply these types of protections to employees through their regulations. The SEC and OSHA are two prominent bodies that extend these protections to many employees that would not be covered under the original law. Keeping businesses honest is now easier because they are aware that employees can come forward if the company is breaking serious laws.
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