A whistleblower can be defined as a person who reveals any wrongdoing or malpractice that is taking place within an organization. These disclosures may be made to the general public or to those in a position of authority. A whistleblower can make a disclosure of corruption, mismanagement, illegal activities, or any other wrongdoing.

For some time now, the public recognition and value of whistleblowing has been on the rise. This is giving more and more people the strength and courage to come forward and report illegal activities that might otherwise go undetected. There are federal and state regulations and statutes that have been put in place to protect whistleblowers from any type of retaliation they may face.

It is an unavoidable fact that people who come forward as whistleblowers often face retaliation from their employers. In a typical case, the employer will terminate the complainant, who is often an employee referred to as an at-will employee. Such an employee is a person who does not have a specific term of employment. The at-will employee has the freedom to resign at any time, but at the same time, the other side of the coin is that the employer also has the right to fire him without having to give any reason. Now, however, there is no need to worry as legislatures and courts have created exceptions for those whistleblowers who are actually at-will employees. Whistleblowers are now protected by statute and can thus combat any discrimination that an employee may show against the accusations. Today, if you are faced with wrongdoing or illegal activity in your organization, know that he has the power to do the right thing and be the whistleblower.