According to an October 10, 2013, article in The New York Times, the British government is now considering creating a reward system for whistleblowers, similar to those in the U.S.
The article states:
“Britain’s government will “consider the case for incentivizing whistle-blowing, including the provision of financial incentives, to support whistle-blowing in cases of fraud, bribery and corruption,” the Home Office said as part of a document announcing the new National Crime Agency in Britain.”
The United States has five powerful whistleblower reward statutes. These laws recognize the importance of encouraging employees, who risk their careers reporting fraud, to come forward by making them eligible for potential large and, at times, multi-million dollar rewards. Whistleblowers in the U.S. may qualify for rewards for reporting government contracting and procurement fraud, securities fraud, commodities fraud, IRS tax fraud/underpayment or for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. More information about these laws can be found in The Whistleblower’s Handbook: A Step by Step Guide to Doing What’s Right and Protecting Yourself (Lyons Press, 2011).
Read the entire New York Times article.
