Three ideas to improve the whistleblowing process

On “National Whistleblower Appreciation Day,” it’s important to take stock of how far whistleblowing has advanced over the last few years.

Since the idea to designate a day (July 30) recognizing the importance of whistleblowers was unanimously approved by the Senate in 2018, the term has received more mainstream attention than ever before. Late 2019 saw a whistleblower feature prominently at the center of impeachment proceedings for former President Donald Trump. Efforts to bring down high-profile individuals like Harvey Weinstein who were abusing their stature to harm others has no doubt been fueled by individuals willing to speak out against injustice.

Then you have the regulators, who are rewarding whistleblowers at an eye-opening pace. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has already paid out twice as much in total awards to whistleblowers this fiscal year—$377 million through July 15—than any other year in the program’s nine-year history.