Weston Lawyers - What To Do Now That You Have Blown The Whistle

For many whistleblowers there is a feeling of relief once they reveal the illegal and unethical behavior which they have observed. But that is often short lived. This is only the first step. Often, after they don’t know what to do next. One thing is clear – the whistleblowers life will never be the same. While there isn’t a step by step formula of how to act once you have blow the whistle, there are a few things to keep in mind.

The first thing is to remember is that you have done your duty as you saw fit, and you have nothing to feel guilty about. While others can try and manipulate you or make you feel like you have made the wrong decision, no one can openly punish you for having blown the whistle.

Second, don’t lose your dignity. You have done what is right. That does not mean that you act as though you are superior to your colleagues who kept quiet and did not blow the whistle. In their minds, they had good reasons for keeping quiet.

Third, it’s likely that management will not be happy with you for what you have done. Now that is a surprise, isn’t it? Just accept it and keep your emotions in check. Often they will attempt to provoke you so as to weaken your case and strengthen theirs! This goes for your coworkers too. Accept criticism and unhappiness from them with patience. When the subject of your whistle blowing comes up and you are attacked for the way it has hurt the organization-don’t react.

Fourth, be prepared for indirect retaliation. While there are laws to protect you from unfair treatment after you have blown the whistle, management may still make you pay the price. For example, they could try and transfer you to a remote location away from everyone you know. They won’t do this right away but possibly in the near future.

If the situation becomes too unbearable you might need to look for another job. Before you take this step, seek advice from your legal counsel. You might find it difficult to get another job since you have now been labeled a “whistleblower”. That is what happened to Sherron Watkins who is the woman that first blew the lid off of the problems at the now infamous Enron. Companies that are engaged in questionable activity are naturally resistant in hiring someone who has “spoken out” in the past. But take heart; there are those organizations that are looking for people with leadership traits such as honesty, truth and determination

Whatever you do, don’t lose hope. Life won’t be easy after you blow the whistle, but tapping into the same courage that it took to bring everything into the open will also see you through the rest of the journey.