Learning More About The Whistleblower Act

| Wednesday, November 7, 2012
By Tonia Michael


The Whistleblower Act has been a law implemented to go after companies and corporations who carry on illegal practices in their business. It ultimately encourages informed employees to participate in exposing the company's unlawful practices. These employees report violations to the proper authorities, and are therefore protected in various ways during the process.

For many years, the country has seen company after company commit unlawful and unethical acts to get ahead. These acts have, at times, left devastating damage to the various people of the public. People such as investors and employees have suffered because of the actions of these businesses. Some of them suffer financially, and others may even suffer physically.

Even though there are companies and corporations breaking the law, there are still employees who disagree with their actions. These employees understand what is going on is wrong, and may want do whatever they can to help stop it. Because of the backlash they may face for exposing their employers, many are reluctant to come forth and offer help. This fear can cause this type of behavior to continue.

While the act was initiated to protect whistleblowers from their bosses, it has also sought to encourage more people to come forward. It would be unlikely for an employee to participate in an investigation against his or her boss, because doing so would likely get them terminated from their job. This law puts certain levels of protection in place for that. Because of this, more have come forward with valuable information.

Although this protection law has been enacted all over the country, each states has its own variations of the law itself. In the state of Pennsylvania, public employees were the only ones who could be protected. Later on, health care workers, and private organization employees have also become protected.

Employees are protected if they come forward with details about violations, as well as if they are asked to participate in various investigations stemming from their company's alleged unlawful actions. By doing so, they will be doing a service to themselves and the public. In addition to legal protection, they are offered monetary protection due to a loss of their job from participating in such an investigation.

An important thing that a potential whistleblower should know is that they must have solid and reasonable suspicious of the alleged unlawful acts. If you are an employee coming forward, you bear the unfortunate burden of showing that it was necessary to make a report. If there is no evidence or reason for your report, your claim will not be successful. This helps to avoid going after companies because an employee filed a claim out of spite, that has no merit or is completely baseless.

The Whistleblower Act is a very important law and can be very useful for exposing company's who operate unethically or who break the law. It also encourages those involved to come clean, and will protect them for doing so. This law protects the public and might also deter other companies from unlawful practices as well. If you have information about a company causing harm to others, it may service you right to turn them in.




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