Reporting illegal or discriminatory activity in the workplace requires a lot of courage. Using caution in selecting a strategy can help you protect your career from collateral damage.
If people find out that you exposed the truth, they might retaliate against you. Knowing what such behavior looks like can help you advocate for your rights.
Reporting
Exposing your employer is something that you should carefully think about before doing it. Make sure you can reasonably identify legitimate reasons why you plan to blow the whistle. According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, some things you might whistleblow about include the following:
- Public health violations
- Safety violations
- Breaking the law
- Gross mismanagement
- Abuse of authority
Retaliation
After you say something, pay attention to the way others treat you. Retaliation takes many forms including threats, intimidation, withholding bonuses, blacklisting, demoting and firing among many other outcomes.
Treatment of this kind is against the law. Experiencing retaliation can impact your productivity and threaten your career stability. By law, you have the right to protection against these damaging behaviors.
Redemption
If the word does get out about your actions and you suffer unfair treatment at work, the repercussions could impact your reputation. Seeking redemption and reclaiming your image might require the help of others.
You deserve to work in an environment free from the threatening or damaging behaviors of others. If you choose to blow the whistle, remember your rights so you can actively protect yourself and the future of your career.
