We think of whistleblowers as those people who do the right thing and blow the whistle to alert others of a problem, such as police officers used to blow whistles when witnessing a crime or when referees point out an illegal play. Modern whistleblowers are important to society because they are the ones who are brave enough to protect others by standing up against corruption and wrongdoing.
Protection for Whistleblowers
There are legal protections for whistleblowers which try to both protect whistleblowers and encourage others to come forward. These include the False Claims Act and the California False Claims Act, which not only attempt to protect but compensate whistleblowers. The government understands how frightening it can be to risk everything, so they try to protect those doing the right thing.
Why Those Protections Aren’t Always Enough
Here are the three main reasons it is better not to go it alone:
- You can get fired. Even though the whistleblower laws specifically protect you from that kind of employer retaliation, some employers will ignore you and deprive you of the income you need to support yourself and your family. Your employer may even try to keep others from giving you a job.
- Civil lawsuits can often last years. This is where an attorney really has an advantage, in that your attorney can get things going faster and more smoothly by ensuring that paperwork is filled out properly and all deadlines are met.
- Laws change. Your attorney will help you keep up with any changes that can affect your case.
If you have a whistleblower claim, you don’t need to try to take care of it on your own. Even if your case seems cut and dry, you can leave yourself vulnerable to financial and emotional harm. The Whistleblower can help you safely get your information in front of the right people.
