Book Review
Title: Rules for Whistleblowers: A Handbook for Doing What’s Right by Stephen M. Kohn
Genre: Non-Fiction, Law
Rating: 3.5 Stars
The introduction to this book introduces us to the first whistleblowers in American history who fought their case appealing to Congress for help and compensation just a year after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. These men were fired, sued and imprisoned for their act of duty but it led to the passing of several laws that protect and reward whistleblowers for their service which are still in effect today. The opening chapter deals with some of the legal protections in place for whistleblowers that lessens the fear of losing everything but don’t get rid of it entirely. Before these protections were put in place whistleblowers faces losing the jobs and livelihoods for doing what is right and while some still get this treatment it is severely frowned upon by those responsible.
The remainder of part one looks at the different types of whistleblowers and what is covered under each one. These weren’t the most interesting but some like those relating to whistleblowers that aren’t native to the US were extremely interesting. I was fascinated to learn that whistleblowers can come from outside America and that these people are also entitled to financial compensation depending on their information and its relevance to the case at hand. One fact that blew my mind was how many whistleblowers came from outside America but involved companies that deal with or within America. From these tops the amount of money recovered by the courts was substantial and a proportional amount was paid out to the whistleblowers. It also goes into some depth about how foreign nationals can go about blowing the whistle and claiming compensation for doing so.
Part two begins to go into the more practical elements of blowing the whistle. It documents several rules that whistleblowers should follow depending on the industry they are in. It also covers rules that apply to both natives and non-natives of America as well as the repercussions that a whistleblower might face and what they can do to defend themselves or seek retribution from their employer. The author also includes several real-life examples of whistleblowers who faced negative consequences for blowing the whistle and what they did right and wrong in their situation and how to improve if your situation is similar. This was an interesting part of the book as it breaks down the very complex rules of blowing the whistle into something that even someone like me can understand and I have no understanding of anything legal in nature.
Part three begins looking at the potential rewards for blowing the whistle that fall outside of monetary compensation. The first chapter in this section and the theme throughout is breaking down the steps of blowing the whistle in the different areas covered beginning with the False Claims Act. Going through the steps and the advice on how to gather information and report safely and legally was interesting. Going forward throughout part three we follow the same process for other areas like the IRS and DOT. Part four continues the theme of the previous part as it looks at retaliation laws.
This is where the book lost me because instead of learning about these things from an outsider and insider perspective as was the case in the first half, the second half becomes a handbook for people in these situations. This means there is a lot of legal jargon, references to forms and departments I didn’t really have an interest in or understood. Honestly, I would recommend the first half if you are interested in learning about whistleblowers, the judgement they face and some interesting true stories but stop there and ignore the second half unless you happen to be a whistleblower or are thinking or becoming one then carry on. Overall, this ended up being a mid-read since only the first half was interesting for me and I struggled through the second half because I was bored but this might be interesting to some and if that’s you then definitely pick it up.
Buy it here:
Paperback/Hardcover: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
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