Whistleblower

Introduction to Whistleblowing

According to the Encyclopedia of Public Administration and Public Policy (Third Edition, Domonic A. Bearfield Melvin J. Dubnick, CRC Press 2015), the “phenomenon of whistle blowing may stir up images of the uncovering of unethical practices in various businesses, but in a loose sense, it has occurred since the mid-1800s within corporate organizational structures. Generally, it is someone telling the truth about wrong actions taken by an entity to some agency, which can bring to bear some type of ramifications on the entity at hand. To better understand what whistle blowing is, we consider the salient features of a few contemporary definitions, the context in which it occurs, and the ethical tensions involved. We then turn to important public policy questions related to whistle blowing.”

Whistleblower Programs in the United States

The SEC’s whistleblower program went into effect on July 21, 2010, when the President signed into law the “Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.” The same law also established a whistleblower incentive program at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission that rewards individuals who submit tips related to violations of the Commodity Exchange Act.

Other U.S. Whistleblower Programs include the following:

• In relation to violations related to commodities, futures, or similar products, including all violations of the Commodity Exchange Act, the issue belongs to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s whistleblower program.
• If the information implicates United States tax laws, there is a IRS Whistleblower Program.
• The Department of Justice enforces the False Claims Act, another major whistleblower law.

Resources

See Also

Whistleblower in the International Trade Union Rights Area

Definition of Whistleblower provided by ITUC-CSI-IGB: A worker who reports employer illegality or misconduct.

Resources

Trade Union Topics

• Trade Union Act
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• Definition of Trade Union
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• Legislative Power
• Trade unions in Europe
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