As people of modern generation, we live in what can be described as a very complex web. The complexity of this web is concocted through an assortment of ingredients such as economy, security, healthcare etc. These ingredients form a big part of our lives, but dealing with them can sometimes become a tricky job. Now, while that can be largely put down to the depth and the range of dynamics that the core of these ingredients possesses, it is also due to one other major factor, and this factor can be considered a common one across all the spheres. It’s the governance of the elements in question. Almost everything we interact with during the course of our day is governed in one way or another. It is there to ensure that the established standards are being met, along with making a constant push towards an improved way of doing things. However, there are times, when government rules might get a little hard to understand because of their obscure nature. That was exactly the case with America’s stance on whistleblowers. For years, America has treated the act of whistle-blowing as unethical and against the law. Even if you are reporting a hugely unscrupulous activity, the barrel will eventually land on you for blowing the whistle on what everyone considered to be an ‘internal matter’.
Nevertheless, as far as this issue is concerned, the country finally seems to be heading into the right direction. With the setting up of authorities like CTFC that reward people for reporting any illegal activities being carried out in the relation to a company, U.S. made some positive strides, but the conundrum of whistleblowers had more to it than initially imagined.
Despite having a listener for their information, one of the biggest concerns of these people was the confidentiality around their communication with the authorities. Many people have witnessed their careers getting destroyed due to lack of anonymity. One of them was Sherron Watkins, a former Enron Corp. executive, who showed the courage to report fraud.
Commenting on the latest efforts made by the Biden administration through increased funding for CTFC (thus greater rewards for the informants) and ensured anonymity, Watkins said:
“I would have remained anonymous, stayed employed, Enron would still be alive,” she said. “So it’s a wonderful check and balance.”