The Corporate Whistleblower's Survival Guide - Hardcover

Devine, Tom; Maassarani, Tarek

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1605099856 ISBN 13: 9781605099859

Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2011

Synopsis

From Erin Brockovich to Enron, whistleblowers who “challenge abuses of power that betray the public trust” have proven to be an unfortunate necessity in modern business culture. Their efforts to report crimes, fraud, and dangers to public health and safety have saved millions of lives and billions of dollars of shareholder value – and had we heeded the warnings of whistleblowers, perhaps disasters such as the Bernie Madoff scandal and the Lehman Brothers meltdown could have been averted.

Recent federal legislation in finance and health reform have cemented legal protections and mechanisms for whistleblowing. This book provides a thorough guide and history to the whistleblower's legal rights. The ultimate survival guide, it provides advice on getting help and finding allies, warns that retaliation is often the reward for "committing the truth" and shows how to weather the storm. With extensive legal texts, sample letters, resources, and information on upcoming whistleblower reforms, this is the ultimate source on the subject.

About this title

Review:

Devine and Maassarani present a handy guide (written in cooperation with the Government Accountability Project, for which Devine is legal director and Maassarani former litigator) full of practical considerations and suggestions as well as examples of whistle-blowers' experiences. The admirably pragmatic chapters cover such topics as how to decide whether the wrongdoing witnessed is worth reporting, the tactics used by corporations and others to intimidate and marginalize whistle-blowers, how to create appropriate support networks, and the best ways to back up one's whistle-blowing (and to whom one should blow the whistle). The book concludes with a meaty "Toolkit" that offers tips on filing an official Sarbanes-Oxley complaint, filing Freedom of Information Act requests, and using the appropriate federal statutes. VERDICT This is an important (and cost-effective) book for libraries to own; it well covers a subject that, understandably, potential whistle-blowers may not want to look

From Library Journal

Devine and Maassarani present a handy guide (written in cooperation with the Government Accountability Project, for which Devine is legal director and Maassarani former litigator) full of practical considerations and suggestions as well as examples of whistle-blowers' experiences. The admirably pragmatic chapters cover such topics as how to decide whether the wrongdoing witnessed is worth reporting, the tactics used by corporations and others to intimidate and marginalize whistle-blowers, how to create appropriate support networks, and the best ways to back up one's whistle-blowing (and to whom one should blow the whistle). The book concludes with a meaty "Toolkit" that offers tips on filing an official Sarbanes-Oxley complaint, filing Freedom of Information Act requests, and using the appropriate federal statutes. VERDICT This is an important (and cost-effective) book for libraries to own; it well covers a subject that, understandably, potential whistle-blowers may not want to look up on the Internet, particularly on their work computers. Managers might also do well to familiarize themselves with this book, as the authors suggest that most whistle-blowers would prefer to work through official and company channels to resolve their issues (for both their peace of mind and the good of the organization). --Sarah Statz Cords

About the Author:

Tom Devine is legal director of the Government Accountability Project, which since 1977 has helped over 5,000 people take on organizations like AIG, Bechtel, the World Bank, Procter & Gamble, and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals—and win. He has received the Fund for Constitutional Government’s Defender of the Constitution Award and is a member of the Freedom of Information Act Hall of Fame.

Tarek F. Maassarani is a practicing attorney and a former investigator with the Government Accountability Project. He is currently an adjunct professor at George Washington University.

About this edition

• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1605099856
• ISBN 13: 9781605099859
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288