A leading global risk-management company, Kroll, Inc., has issued a new report finding that one of the unfortunate byproducts of our current global financial crisis will be an uptick in white collar crimes, particularly corporate fraud. As the Kroll report describes the situation, companies experiencing lean profits will have increased incentives to engage in fraudulent behaviour. More companies ‘cooking the books’ also means something else…more honest employee whistleblowers stepping forward to put a stop to this unethical behavior.
These often unsuspecting whistleblowers will no doubt experience harsh retaliation from employers, as the company executives scramble to save their hides. Whistleblowers will be harrassed in any number of ways; they will be demoted, fired, threatened, persecuted, and prosecuted. And unfortunately there aren’t many good laws out there to protect them. Unless our leaders in Congress act to pass whistleblower protection laws immediately, many of these heroes will be left out in the cold…..