What rights do whistleblowers have?

In Virginia, whistleblowers are legally protected from retaliation for reporting suspected illegal or unethical activities. This protection is provided by specific laws in place that shield whistleblowers from adverse actions taken by employers due to their whistleblowing. Under the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act, whistleblowers may receive up to 30% of the total amount recovered by the government if the information disclosed leads to the recovery of funds from an individual or a business. Whistleblowers also have protection from adverse action taken by employers as a result of the whistleblowing. Employers cannot fire, demote, suspend, threaten, harass, or otherwise discriminate against the whistleblower as long as they provide reasonable good faith evidence of the violation they are reporting. Besides the legal protection, whistleblowers also have certain communication rights in place. They can disclose information to any governmental, law enforcement, or other regulatory authority. In doing so, they cannot be held liable for any civil, administrative, or criminal penalties for making such disclosures. Finally, whistleblowers are protected from retaliation for any public criticism or opposing a practice or policy they believe is illegal, fraudulent or unethical. in an effort to protect their right to free speech. The state of Virginia reinforces these protections by offering an anonymous reporting system and a hotline for individuals to use to report suspected wrongdoing.

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What rights do whistleblowers have?

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