Whistleblower Protection legislation Internationally
GAP Report on European Whistleblower Protections
Comment by Dr Michael Cole
Whistleblower protection is mostly non-existent and illusory. Australia is sometimes quoted as having whistleblower protection but it is hidden in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation and few or no prosecutions have occurred. The OHS regulators claim to have made prosecutions, but the offences were straight out criminal offences that needed no other legislation than the Criminal legislation to prosecute.
The Opposition party always loves whistleblowers because they expose the government's corruption; once in power, as the government, they hate whistleblowers for the same reason (because whistleblowers expose the corruption of the government).
The US does have some whistleblower protection, but again it is largely an illusion. One is only protected if the problem involves the government losing money, and it must be lots of money (over 1 million dollars in some legislation) and the whistleblower has to be very precise about how they go about blowing the whistle, so much so that it is highly recommended that they only do so after engaging an experienced whistleblower lawyer. For all the rest, who want to expose morally or ethically corrupt government or civil corruption not involving huge sums of money that the US government is losing, there is no protection ... No protection ... in the US.
If you can expose corruption involving huge sums of money in the US, then luck is on your side, hire a good lawyer, follow the rules exactly and make yourself a bundle.
Otherwise you are out of luck and it seems that anonymous whistleblowing is the wisest course. No glory, no money, but at least you will not be at risk of losing your career, your family and your mental health.
Anonymous whistleblowing must be done carefully. If you tell anyone then its not anonymous!
GAP is doing a great job, and is worth supporting! :-*
http://www.whistleblower.org/blog/44-2013/2659-gap-report-on-european-whistleblower-protections
Anonymous Whistleblowing
Comment by Dr Michael Cole
Whistleblower protection is mostly non-existent and illusory. Australia is sometimes quoted as having whistleblower protection but it is hidden in Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation and few or no prosecutions have occurred. The OHS regulators claim to have made prosecutions, but the offences were straight out criminal offences that needed no other legislation than the Criminal legislation to prosecute.
The Opposition party always loves whistleblowers because they expose the government's corruption; once in power, as the government, they hate whistleblowers for the same reason (because whistleblowers expose the corruption of the government).
The US does have some whistleblower protection, but again it is largely an illusion. One is only protected if the problem involves the government losing money, and it must be lots of money (over 1 million dollars in some legislation) and the whistleblower has to be very precise about how they go about blowing the whistle, so much so that it is highly recommended that they only do so after engaging an experienced whistleblower lawyer. For all the rest, who want to expose morally or ethically corrupt government or civil corruption not involving huge sums of money that the US government is losing, there is no protection ... No protection ... in the US.
If you can expose corruption involving huge sums of money in the US, then luck is on your side, hire a good lawyer, follow the rules exactly and make yourself a bundle.
Otherwise you are out of luck and it seems that anonymous whistleblowing is the wisest course. No glory, no money, but at least you will not be at risk of losing your career, your family and your mental health.
Anonymous whistleblowing must be done carefully. If you tell anyone then its not anonymous!
GAP is doing a great job, and is worth supporting! :-*
http://www.whistleblower.org/blog/44-2013/2659-gap-report-on-european-whistleblower-protections
Anonymous Whistleblowing
