When is an employee considered a whistleblower?

On Behalf of | Jun 11, 2015 | Whistleblower Protection |

Everyone wants to believe that their employer is honest and would never break the law, but the truth is there are companies out there that don’t always follow the rules. Sometimes, when committing these illegal acts, employers even try to recruit their employees to engage in these activities with them. For those who decide not to participate, they may make one of two decisions about how to proceed after declining to assist their employer: stay quiet about the wrongdoing or go to an outside agency and report their employer.

An employee is considered a whistleblower when they report their employer for committing unlawful acts or misconduct of any kind. An example of an unlawful act that is common is companies defrauding the government by using billing practices and reports that are fraudulent and false. Should a person want to report their employer, they can do so freely without consequence thanks to whistleblower protection.

Oftentimes, when an employer has a complaint filed against them by an employee, they engage in retaliatory behavior. Seeing as how it is illegal for them to do so because of whistleblower protection, they may face having another complaint filed against them if it is proven that they have retaliated against their employee in any way. With this being the case, employees are comfortable and less afraid to report their employer for violating the law.

Employees have the freedom to file a complaint at work for things that they feel are unlawful. With whistleblower protection keeping them from being retaliated against by their employer, they can feel safe filing any complaint that they wish. If you are considering reporting your employer for committing illegal acts, an Indianapolis whistleblower attorney may be able to assist.

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