If you see something dishonest going on at work, it can leave you feeling uneasy. You know it is not correct, and you want to report it, but you are afraid of what might happen if you do.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) reports that it recovered over $3 billion under the False Claims Act in the 2019 fiscal year. Clearly, there is a lot of fraud out there, and sometimes the best-placed people to discover it and report it are the employees of the guilty company.
Perhaps the primary reason more workers do not report fraud is they fear their employer will retaliate by firing them, demoting them, or ignoring them for a promotion. Risking your income for the truth can be a tough decision, especially if you have a family to support.
While employers might do these things, they are not allowed to, and you can take action if they do. If your employer retaliates, you can claim damages under the Qui Tam section of the False Claims Act (FSA). If the government recovers money due to your report, you might also get a share as a thank you for your commitment to the truth. So rather than risk losing your income for telling the truth, you may increase it.
Get advice before filing a report against an employer who defrauds the government
Facing up to an employer who thinks you blew the whistle on them can be intimidating. Therefore, it is best to learn more about whistleblower protection before you report the wrongdoing. That way you can reduce the chance you suffer an interim loss of income if they should retaliate.
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