Dallas Appellate and Trial Attorney P Wes Black Named Partner at Lyons and Simmons

Opinion Editorial: The Need for Stronger Protections for Whistleblowers

Background

The act of whistleblowing refers to when an individual exposes wrongdoing or illegal activity within an organization. Whistleblowers play an important role in safeguarding public interest and ensuring transparency in government and corporate activities. However, the act of whistleblowing can be a risky endeavor, with whistleblowers often facing retaliation, harassment, and discrimination as a result.

Current Protections

Many countries, including the United States, have laws in place to protect whistleblowers. The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 in the U.S. provides protections for federal employees who report illegal or unethical activities in the government. However, these protections are often limited, with whistleblowers lacking the same legal protections as other employees.

The Need for Stronger Protections

Whistleblowers should be afforded strong legal protections to ensure that they feel safe and encouraged to come forward with information about wrongdoing. One way this can be achieved is by expanding the scope of existing whistleblower protection laws. These laws should be extended to cover all employees, not just those within government organizations. Additionally, legal protections should extend not only to whistleblowers who report illegal activities, but also to those who report unethical behavior or actions that may have negative consequences for the public or the environment.

Examples of Whistleblower Retaliation

There have been several high-profile cases of whistleblower retaliation in recent years. Chelsea Manning, a former private in the U.S. Army, was sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking classified information to the website Wikileaks. Edward Snowden, a former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, fled to Russia after leaking classified information about the U.S. government’s surveillance programs.

In the corporate world, Whistleblowers have also faced retaliation. Jeffrey Wigand, a former tobacco industry executive, was harassed and threatened with violence after he revealed that tobacco companies were intentionally marketing addictive products. Debrahlee Lorenzana, a former Citibank employee, was fired for refusing to change her appearance to fit the bank’s dress code.

The Benefits of Stronger Whistleblower Protections

Stronger legal protections for whistleblowers would not only benefit the individuals who come forward with information but also society as a whole. By providing incentives and protections for whistleblowers, companies and organizations will be encouraged to self-regulate and ensure that they are operating ethically and legally. This will ultimately lead to greater transparency and accountability, which can help prevent future cases of corporate and government wrongdoing.

Conclusion

Whistleblowers play a critical role in safeguarding the public interest and ensuring that corporations and governments operate in an ethical and lawful manner. However, current legal protections for whistleblowers are often inadequate, leaving them vulnerable to retaliation and harassment. It’s time for governments and corporations to recognize the important role that whistleblowers play in maintaining a just and ethical society and to provide them with the strong legal protections that they deserve.

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