There are strong public policy reasons why whistleblower activities are protected. They play a valuable role in bringing alleged corporate misconduct to light. The usual modus operandi at many workplaces throughout the country is that most employees go along with wrongful conduct, even when they know it to be illegal. Whether the employees personally benefit or do not wish to potentially jeopardize their employment by coming forward, most people tend to keep silent when they witness wrongdoing on the job. The end result is that the public could suffer serious harm from what happens through certain corporate activities because there is nobody to stop them from happening.
Whistleblowers Increase the Level of Corporate Transparency
While many employees may be personally horrified by what they are seeing or being asked to do on the job, they may be compelled by their own conscience to do something about it. Whether it is reporting wrongdoing to a supervisor or cooperating with a government investigation, whistleblowers may do a number of things to bring transparency to a situation involving wrongful conduct. Public policy typically holds that “sunlight is the best disinfectant,” and that is why it aims to potentially incentivize whistleblowers and protect them when they do come forward.
How Whistleblowers Bring Attention to Wrongful Conduct in Cherry Hill
Whistleblowing can involve a number of activities that are intended to bring corporate misconduct to light, including the following:
- Reporting illegal or unethical conduct to a government agency
- Internal complaints, opposition, and response to perceived wrongful or illegal behavior
- Refusing to engage in illegal acts
- Participating in an ongoing investigation of the employer
- Testifying against the employer in a trial or administrative proceeding
- Filing a formal whistleblower complaint or action
All of these activities can bring benefits to the general public or company employees who face threats from illegal or wrongful actions. Whistleblower actions have been known to save lives or protect the health of the public. For example, whistleblowers have reported attempts by tobacco companies to make their products extremely addictive, illegal dumping that harms the environment, and defective products that injure consumers.
Whistleblowers Must Be Protected by Law
There is little wonder that corporate executives may feel threatened by a whistleblower’s actions, and they may stop at nothing to either keep the truth from coming to light or to take retaliatory actions. Certain corporate executives may be personally at risk, and some have even faced criminal charges as a result of allegations that whistleblowers have brought to light. Certainly, a company may face intense regulatory scrutiny or potential liability and a lawsuit based on what a whistleblower has said.
The whistleblower faces a very tenuous existence at their job if their own identity has been learned. Although they may make anonymous reports, coworkers may have suspicions, and whistleblowers may even need to reveal their identity at some point. Companies have been known to fire whistleblowers, even though it is expressly prohibited by law. Even if a whistleblower is not outright terminated, the employer can do everything within their power to make the job experience so miserable, creating a hostile work environment, that the whistleblower feels no choice but to quit.
If an employer has given any type of disparate treatment to a whistleblower after they have engaged in protected activity, there is a legal right to sue under a number of laws. If your conduct as a whistleblower falls under certain federal laws, these often give you a private right of action to sue. Further, New Jersey also has robust protections for whistleblowers who have either come forward or objected to performing certain actions on the job. If you win your lawsuit, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation, which can even include punitive damages.
Cherry Hill Whistleblower Lawyers at The Law Offices of Leo B. Dubler, III, LLC, Provide the Legal Help You Need
If you have come forward to report misconduct, or you are planning on doing so, you need legal help from the Cherry Hill whistleblower lawyers at The Law Offices of Leo B. Dubler, III, LLC. We can work to protect your rights and potentially seek compensation on your behalf if they were violated. The first step in the legal process is to schedule a free initial consultation, which you can do by visiting our website or by calling us today at 856-235-7075. We have offices in Mount Laurel and Atlantic City, New Jersey, and we serve clients in the surrounding areas.