Snitches Get Stitches: An Historical Overview of Whistleblower Laws and Perceptions

Abstract

In the U.S., whistleblower protection comes in two forms, anti-retaliation assurance, and bounties. To receive job protection under the Dodd-Frank Act, the U.S. Supreme Court held that employees must report to the SEC, or they will not satisfy the definition of a whistleblower. Since the time of the Civil War, with profiteers abusing their government contracts, the False Claims Act has rewarded employees reporting on organizations stealing from the government. While the U.K. and France protect whistleblowers, who are targeted by their employers, no other government provides a bounty.