Working in the corporate or government environment, employees are sometimes subject to see things they should not see. Such things that are unethical to society or to the corporation. An employee is then placed in a situation where the employee must decide what action should be taken. Do you report the unethical behavior to upper-management or do you just let it go to avoid risking the disciplinary action towards a co-worker, the company or at times risk losing your job. Whistleblowing is defined as an employee's disclosure to government, the press, or upper-management authorities that the employer is engaged in unsafe or illegal activities. The textbook, "Moral Issues in Business, stated whistleblowing as "an employee act of informing the public about the illegal or immoral behavior of an employer or organization.
At times employees are reluctant to report their company or disclose information of unethical behavior because of loyalty to the company or fear of having to deal with the matter and end up losing their job. A lot of people love where they work and do not want to be labeled "snitches". But the important part of learning more about this topic is to discover the rights that employees have. Employees should know they can not be fired, that they are protected by law. The result of any firing would most likely be a lawsuit. The important part for the most is that employees need to act in the best interest of society. In recent times, employees have reported employers regarding illegal dumping of toxic chemicals. These brave individuals are seen as heroes to environmentalists and society.
Whistleblowers play an important role in society. Without them many employers could get away with illegal activities such as fraud and illegal dumping. Whistleblowers protect society and send a message to employers who are conducting unethical practice or pondering the idea. Employers need to realize that business is about more than making profit that you must also protect your image.
