by Theresa Ann White

Created on: March 28, 2009   Last Updated: November 16, 2010

Karen Silkwood, the woman who reported unsafe conditions at a U.S. nuclear power plant, disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Before her disappearance, Silkwood's fiance dumped her and she was estranged from her closest friends.

Jeff Wigand, the tobacco executive who blew the lid on nicotine's addictive power, kept his life but lost his family and his professional reputation was smeared amid years of ugly lawsuits.

These two examples of high profile whistle-blowers make one thing clear: blowing the whistle is a high risk action. So think very carefully before you engage and consider the pros and cons of your action.

The Pros

Whistle-blowers are usually motivated by a sense of social justice. Fraud, deceit, unconscionable activity, corporate inequity all these black marks of capitalism go against their grain and must be stopped. In a 2007 interview, Wigand summed up his motivation. "I was loyal to a higher order of ethical responsibility."

Reporting criminal activity in a business will satisfy your obligation for ethical responsibility. If you're reporting an illicit or illegal scheme that affects a large number of people, then you will also feel you are making a substantial contribution toward the welfare of society. As a result of your leak, widespread practices could come to an end; criminals might be prosecuted; and, social order might be restored.

But these lofty ambitions aren't usually what motivates whistle-blowers. It's simply that they cannot live with themselves if they remain silent. So by blowing the whistle, they are satisfying a core value. Even with the repercussions, they experience a sense of personal completeness.

The Cons

Most large corporations are able to identify a whistle blower, even when it is done anonymously. The still-employed whistle blower can expect immediate and long-lasting consequences.

As a start, your reputation will be defamed in a legal effort to prove your allegations are baseless. Be ready to defend your personal honor and professional integrity because both will be assaulted.

Whistle-blowers have federal protection against recrimination. Regardless, it's very likely that you will lose your standing in your chosen profession by the insidious practice of blackballing. If you have built your livelihood into this career, then you'll suffer financially. Your family will suffer and because of the constant stress, you may also lose their support.

Colleagues and coworkers will make a wide berth when they see you coming.

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