How to Be a Whistle-Blower

By eHow Legal Editor

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Blowing the whistle on an employer who is engaged in illegal, unethical or dangerous workplace activities is a risky business that requires organization. Whistle-blowing experiences have been glamorized in the media, but it is important to place your emotions aside and craft a course of action that will minimize your risk.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Step1

Formulate a plan of action that includes the best time and place to blow the whistle. Learn about your state whistle-blowing laws and consult an attorney before reporting any wrongdoing.

Step2

Keep your plans to yourself. Other than consulting an attorney, do not share your whistle-blowing plans. If you confide in a co-worker you increase the risk of management discovering your plan before it comes to fruition.

Step3

Discard your false illusions of workplace privacy. In today's high tech workplace no email, phone conversation or instant message is irretrievable. If you communicate with anyone about your employer's activities, assume that your employer will be able to access this communication, especially if it takes place using work issued equipment.

Step4

Increase your credibility by maintaining a detailed record of workplace activities. A dated account of wrongdoings will hold up much better in court than one person's foggy recollections. Keep this log at home.

Step5

Use precise wording when crafting a whistle-blowers report. An attorney can help you draw up this document, so that the employer cannot argue that you were being vengeful.

Step6

Stick to the known facts when reporting any misconduct at your place of employment. Using only facts increases your credibility.

Step7

Focus on the future. Blowing the whistle on your employer can be all consuming for a period of time, but you must think of the next step in your professional life. Before agreeing on a settlement or voluntarily leaving your company, consult with an attorney to ensure that the whistle-blowing episode does not affect your future career adversely.

Tips & Warnings

Emotions run high in employees who believe their workplace is engaged in unethical activities. Stay calm and prepared.
Don't fill any gaps in what you know with presumptions.

Comments

happykat said

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on 9/22/2007 If you want to report information anonymously to a company or agency, you can use a postal remail service like texasremail.com. They will mail your correspondence for you from a Texas post office and your location and identity can remain anonymous.

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