Whistleblowers report misconduct within an organization and can be internal or external. They are protected by law in many countries, but may face stress and legal prosecution. Famous cases include Enron and Joseph Darby’s exposure of prisoner abuse in Abu Ghraib.
A whistleblower is a person working within an organization who reports misconduct. He or she may be a current or past employee and the misconduct may be ongoing at the time of the report or may have occurred in the past. In most cases, the whistleblower’s reported misconduct violates a law and threatens the public in one way or another, although any form of misconduct can be reported.
There are two types of informant: internal and external. An inside whistleblower reports the misconduct to another person working within the workplace, such as another employee or supervisor. An outside whistleblower, however, reports misconduct to an outside agency, such as the media, an attorney, law enforcement, or special protective agencies.
In many countries, the whistleblower is protected by law. The UK, for example, passed the Public Interest Disclosure Act in 1998. This act protects employees from being fired when they report malpractice or other forms of misconduct. The United States has also put in place laws to protect whistleblowers, although the specific protection depends on the state in which the reporting takes place and the type of conduct reported.
Despite the protective measures in place to protect whistleblowers, it can be stressful enough to report an employer’s misconduct. Not only does the person feel preoccupied with future employment, but they may also be ostracized by others who look unfavorably at the person reporting the misconduct. Furthermore, it is possible for a person making the report to face legal prosecution if the employer takes action against him or her for engaging in wrongful behavior in the first place.
There have been many famous whistleblower cases in the United States. One of the most prominent involved Enron, a company that caused millions of people to lose money in their financial scam. Another famous case is that of Joseph Darby, a military police officer who exposed the abuse of prisoners in Abu Ghraib, Iraq.
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