• Media

Job and Financial Security

  • Written By: Lioness

Deciding to speak out publicly against an employer is likely to have a ripple effect that can impact a whistleblower’s career, even years later.

Whistleblowing is an important pillar of American democracy, but it does not pay the bills. 

Workplace retaliation

According to a study published in the DePaul Business & Commercial Law Journal, two-thirds of whistleblowers have experienced these forms of workplace retaliation:

  • job loss or forced retirement (69%)
  • negative employment performance evaluations (64%)
  • increased oversight by supervisors (68%)
  • criticism from co-workers (69%)
  • blacklisting from other career opportunities (64%)

Fortunately, a number of legal statutes are in place to address workplace retaliation:

Note: For protections to apply, retaliation must be reported within a specific time frame, as detailed in the respective statute.

Whistleblower rewards

In cases involving the federal government, a number of whistleblower laws provide monetary support to people who disclose information that helps the government recoup financial losses from waste or fraud. Here are a few examples and their corresponding mandatory reward (Source: National Whistleblower Center). Refer to each law directly to see the rules for applying for the reward:

  • False Claims Act for disclosing information of fraud in connection to government contracting or programs; 15%–30% of monetary sanctions collected
  • Dodd–Frank Act for disclosing information of securities and commodities fraud; 10%–30% of monetary sanctions collected
  • IRS Whistleblower Law for assisting with the prosecution of tax fraud; 15%–30% of monetary sanctions collected
  • Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for assisting with the prosecution of foreign bribery; 10%–30% of monetary sanctions collected

Note: Some rewards require disclosure of identity; some require the whistleblower to be represented by a licensed attorney to receive compensation. Be sure to closely review the qualifications and requirements before applying.

I had to have people who believed in me fundraising to cover my legal costs because I had no money. Professional whistleblowers, you know, hang on friends’ couches . . . It’s not a job. So it’s good knowing that there’s a possibility to be compensated for the evidence that you bring forth and for the risk that you’re taking.”

Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Brittany Kaiser

Statement of transparency

This entire project is worthless if the tech workers who come to it cannot trust where the information is from, who is behind its creation, and who manages the site. For that reason, I have identified every organization and individual who has been instrumental in its development.

The time and resources required to put together the Handbook were funded by Omidyar Network. This is a wholly independent project owned and managed by me. No identifying data will ever be collected or shared about who accesses this site — with anyone. That said, I do NOT advise accessing this from a company device. Your employer can, and will likely, track visits to a resource like this Handbook. 

You can find a list of the data WordPress automatically collects about site visits here.

 

— Ifeoma Ozoma, Founder of Earthseed, Creator of the Tech Worker Handbook