Employees have very specific rights at work, and one of those rights is that they can speak up when anything illegal, unsafe or unethical is going on in the workplace. The law in this country provides protection for these whistleblowers.
Whether the misconduct they report has to do with safety violations, fraud, misuse of public funds or discrimination, the protections they have remain the same. Understanding the specific protections can help whistleblowers know what to expect.
Protection against retaliation
One of the most important things is that they can’t be retaliated against in response to the reports they make or because they participate in the investigation. Retaliation is any negative employment action, including termination, demotions, pay cuts and many others, that is made against the employee because they participated in the whistleblowing activity.
Right to confidentiality and rewards
Whistleblowers have the right to be able to make their statements confidentially in certain cases. These are typically the cases that involve federal agencies, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. There are instances in which the individual may also be eligible for financial rewards. This is common if they file a report under the False Claims Act or the Securities and Exchange Commission’s whistleblower program.
Whistleblowing isn’t something that’s easy for most employees to do, especially while they’re still employed by the company they’re filing the complaint about. They’re often scared to take this step, so it may be beneficial for them to work with someone familiar with these matters. This can help them to learn their options for making the report and how to address anything that occurs in the aftermath.