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Points of consideration before blowing the whistle

On Behalf of | Mar 6, 2020 | Employee Rights |

There could come a point as an employee when you witness some form of serious wrongdoing at your company. For example, the company owner may request that you forge documents or take other illegal steps as a means of obtaining a financial gain.

You could soon find yourself face to face with a difficult decision: Should you step up and report the issue to the proper authorities, or go along with it and act like everything is okay?

If you decide to do the right thing and blow the whistle, here are some steps you can take to prepare yourself:

  • Collect the necessary evidence: You don’t want to find yourself in the middle of a “he said, she said” type situation. The more evidence you can turnover, the better off you are.
  • Stay out of the way: Once you report the incident to the authorities, such as the IRS or another government agency, stay out of the way and only get involved when you’re asked.
  • Know how to protect your legal rights: There are both federal and state laws in place to protect you as a whistleblower, but that doesn’t always mean anything. Your employer may be extremely upset with you, which could cause them to take some type of adverse action, such as terminating your employment or taking away your title.

When you prepare accordingly, you’ll find it easier to deal with anything that comes your way after blowing the whistle on your employer. The most important thing to remember is that you shouldn’t be penalized for doing the right thing.