It takes a lot of guts for an individual to stand up against huge corporate entities, but have you ever thought about what are the most famous corporate whistleblowers in publicly-traded companies? Whistleblower Protection Act was made into federal law in the USA in 1989 to safeguard the interest of whistleblowers who report any misconduct to the government.
A whistleblower is a person who exposes any information or activity that is deemed illegal, unethical, or not correct within an organization that is either private or public. These are one of the most famous corporate whistleblowers in publicly-traded companies. Did you know that Jeffrey Wigand, the former Vice President at Brown & Williamson the tobacco company was fired from his position in 1996 after he reported the company’s maleficent intention to addict smokers? Enron Corp’s whistleblower Sherron Watkins was selected as one of three “Persons of the Year 2002” by Time. She was exposing details of the financial scandal to the world as a whole. Courtland Kelley, head of the General Motors had the guts to sue his employer for being too liberal in addressing the faults found in Chevrolet Cavilier and Cobalt cars. Those who become whistleblowers can choose to bring information or allegations to the surface either internally or externally. A whistleblower can bring allegations to light by contacting a third party outside of an accused organization such as the media, government, law enforcement, or those who are concerned. Whistleblowers, however, take the risk of facing stiff reprisal and retaliation from those who are accused or alleged of wrongdoing. Because of this, some laws exist to protect whistleblowers. Some third party groups even offer protection to whistleblowers, but that protection can only go so far. s. However, whistleblowing in the public sector organization is more likely to result in criminal charges and possible custodial sentences. A whistleblower who chooses to accuse a private sector organization or agency is more likely to face termination and legal and civil charges.
If you want to see what are the most famous corporate whistleblowers in publicly-traded companies, check Insider Monkey’s list of 10 Famous Corporate Whistleblowers in Publicly-Traded Companies and expand your knowledge more about this topic.
