Los Angeles Whistelblower Attorney Perry Smith

Whistleblowers – Protections and Controversies

Whistleblowers are individuals, usually employees of a company or agency, who expose or wrongdoing, misconduct, or illegal behavior, often at risk to themselves. Crimes reported by whistleblowers vary widely, ranging from incidents of sexual harassment to illegal actions which threaten the public as a whole. One well known whistleblower was Dr. Jeffrey Wigand, a former tobacco VP who exposed the industry’s use of addictive substances in its cigarettes.

Part of the problem facing whistleblowers is inconstant public opinion. While some people see whistleblowers as selfless, upstanding individuals who report wrongdoing despite harm to their own reputation or livelihood, others view them as disgruntled employees or former employees seeking revenge and fifteen minutes in the spotlight. This latter view, however, has been shown to be, at the very least, exaggerated, as the vast majority of whistleblowers maintain low profiles and receive little, if any, attention from the media. Furthermore, most whistleblowers are internal; that is, they communicate their concerns to their own department, organization, or agency, rather than to law enforcement or the mass media.

Due to ongoing controversies surrounding the very idea of whistleblowing, protections for whistleblowers are severely limited. Despite provisions in many existing regulations barring retaliation against whistleblowers, enforcement of such provisions by public agencies is disjointed and spotty at best. Legislative efforts to extend more protections to whistleblowers following an adverse ruling by the Supreme Court were blocked by a veto threat from President George W. Bush and opposition from his allies in Congress.

Los Angeles whistleblower attorney Perry Smith is committed to protecting the rights of all employees and workers. If you have been retaliated against for reporting misconduct in your workplace, call him today at 888-356-2529.