The rules governing those who claim they were fired due to what they know are contained in a number of different federal regulations. Generally speaking, there are two ways in which a government employee can go about proving their case. The first is to sue his former employer for wrongful termination.
This is often seen as a means of revenge on someone’s perception that he has been wronged. Unfortunately, when this type of lawsuit goes to court, the courts are very conservative.
Also, the Department’s leadership has declared that there is no such thing as an illegal whistleblower. This means that anyone who receives a threat or a termination due to whistleblowing is protected by federal law.
Additionally, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and other federal agencies have classified “whistleblowers” as those who only inform the appropriate officials of wrongdoing. In other words, it doesn’t matter if the information was accurate. It is simply not an “official” document or record.
This means that individuals who want to take the time to file a lawsuit are going to have to enlist the services of a lawyer who specializes in these types of cases. They should be prepared to pay for a specialist to help them get up to speed on all of the regulations and rules. Doing so may cost well over $1,000 for the two-day class.
Moreover, they should be prepared to accept that the chances of successfully pursuing their lawsuit are slim. Even if they could find a qualified lawyer who had a passion for defending people in these types of cases, it is very likely that they would be unsuccessful.
In many states’s employees who have been punished for blowing the whistle on their employers are entitled to a minimum amount of money. However, the amount varies from state to state, and not all employees are guaranteed any payment at all.
In addition, they should be aware that going to court to try to reclaim lost wages, educational costs, and other benefits is generally very expensive. Going through the legal system alone for these types of cases would cost well over $100 per hour.
Further, it may require several years of working in order to bring these cases to a successful conclusion. For a student, this adds up to thousands of dollars in expenses.
That said, if you are among the lucky few who gets to take the Whistleblower Law Enforcement Examination, you should consider taking it before you move on to the actual examination. It can really make a difference.
Ensure that you study for the test in person, and not on your laptop. Most states have issued “take home” tests, but you can take them from home, provided you understand the questions and do not copy information from the wrong areas. Also, be sure to read all of the questions carefully, and avoid making the common mistakes that students make on exams such as guessing answers.
