Rules for Whistleblowers: A Handbook for Doing What's Right

by Stephen M. Kohn

Learn how whistleblowers have saved lives, stopped frauds, protected their jobs, and earned million-dollar rewards for doing the right thing in Rules for Whistleblowers, Stephen Martin Kohn’s seventh book on whistleblowing. This book is a fully updated and expanded revision of The Whistleblower’s Handbook, the first ever comprehensive consumer guide to exposing workplace wrongdoing. Kohn’s thirty-seven rules highlight the “traps” facing whistleblowers today and address how to file anonymous cases and qualify for multi-million-dollar rewards. Kohn carefully explains complex rules governing laws including the Dodd-Frank, IRS, and False Claims Acts, as well as detailed strategies for fighting retaliation. He also covers controversial issues such as taping, removing documents, and ignoring nondisclosure agreements.

Modernized laws have revolutionized the rights of employees both in the United States and internationally, enabling whistleblowers to be paid over $10 billion in rewards for doing the right thing. No employee should blow the whistle without knowing their rights. Too much is at stake.

440 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2023

About the author

Stephen M. Kohn is the nation’s leading whistleblower rights attorney. He represented UBS Swiss banker Bradley Birkenfeld, and won the largest reward ever paid to an individual whistleblower: $104 million dollars obtained under the IRS tax fraud whistleblower rewards program. His record of winning whistleblower cases, at trial and on appeal, dates back to 1984. Many of his court victories have become landmark precedents in modern workplace law. A respected scholar as well as a litigator, he has testified in Congress on behalf of whistleblowers and worked with the Senate Judiciary and Banking committees to draft corporate whistleblower protections under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Dodd-Frank Act and Whistleblower Protection Act.

He is the author of the first legal treatise on whistleblowing and is the world’s most published author on whistleblower protection. He is a partner in the Washington D.C. law firm of Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, and serves pro bono as the director of the National Whistleblower Center. He currently specializes in whistleblower cases filed under the False Claims Act, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the IRS tax fraud whistleblower rewards law, the Securities Exchange Commission’s whistleblower program and qui tam whistleblower laws.

Reviews

[For The Novel Lovers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review

Title: Rules for Whistleblowers: A Handbook for Doing What's Right by Stephen M. Kohn

Genre: Non-Fiction, Law

Rating: 3.5 Stars

The introduction to this book introduces us to the first whistleblowers in American history who fought their case appealing to Congress for help and compensation just a year after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. These men were fired, sued and imprisoned for their act of duty but it led to the passing of several laws that protect and reward whistleblowers for their service which are still in effect today. The opening chapter deals with some of the legal protections in place for whistleblowers that lessens the fear of losing everything but don’t get rid of it entirely. Before these protections were put in place whistleblowers faces losing the jobs and livelihoods for doing what is right and while some still get this treatment it is severely frowned upon by those responsible.

The remainder of part one looks at the different types of whistleblowers and what is covered under each one. These weren’t the most interesting but some like those relating to whistleblowers that aren’t native to the US were extremely interesting. I was fascinated to learn that whistleblowers can come from outside America and that these people are also entitled to financial compensation depending on their information and its relevance to the case at hand. One fact that blew my mind was how many whistleblowers came from outside America but involved companies that deal with or within America. From these tops the amount of money recovered by the courts was substantial and a proportional amount was paid out to the whistleblowers. It also goes into some depth about how foreign nationals can go about blowing the whistle and claiming compensation for doing so.

Part two begins to go into the more practical elements of blowing the whistle. It documents several rules that whistleblowers should follow depending on the industry they are in. It also covers rules that apply to both natives and non-natives of America as well as the repercussions that a whistleblower might face and what they can do to defend themselves or seek retribution from their employer. The author also includes several real-life examples of whistleblowers who faced negative consequences for blowing the whistle and what they did right and wrong in their situation and how to improve if your situation is similar. This was an interesting part of the book as it breaks down the very complex rules of blowing the whistle into something that even someone like me can understand and I have no understanding of anything legal in nature.

Part three begins looking at the potential rewards for blowing the whistle that fall outside of monetary compensation. The first chapter in this section and the theme throughout is breaking down the steps of blowing the whistle in the different areas covered beginning with the False Claims Act. Going through the steps and the advice on how to gather information and report safely and legally was interesting. Going forward throughout part three we follow the same process for other areas like the IRS and DOT. Part four continues the theme of the previous part as it looks at retaliation laws.

This is where the book lost me because instead of learning about these things from an outsider and insider perspective as was the case in the first half, the second half becomes a handbook for people in these situations. This means there is a lot of legal jargon, references to forms and departments I didn’t really have an interest in or understood. Honestly, I would recommend the first half if you are interested in learning about whistleblowers, the judgement they face and some interesting true stories but stop there and ignore the second half unless you happen to be a whistleblower or are thinking or becoming one then carry on. Overall, this ended up being a mid-read since only the first half was interesting for me and I struggled through the second half because I was bored but this might be interesting to some and if that’s you then definitely pick it up.

[READER VIEWS · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Rules for Whistleblowers: A Handbook for Doing What’s Right” by Stephen Kohn is an eye-opening book that will lead you to a better understanding of the important role whistleblowers play in our lives. In fact, whistleblowers are all about saving lives, and in order to do that, sometimes you have to blow the whistle. Besides saving literal lives, whistleblowers save jobs and are rewarded for doing the right thing at the right time. Whistleblowing sounds easy, but it’s risky business. They may put their jobs, reputations, and sometimes even their lives on the line for the greater good.

Blowing the whistle for environmental causes can leave lasting effects for future generations. The author outlines 37 rules, 1 rule per chapter, that explain the benefits and traps that occur with today’s whistleblowers, and then wraps up with some checklists and useful resources. The charts, graphs, and maps go a long way in illustrating the author’s points. It isn’t a subject to be taken lightly, and being an informant in most cases is probably not an easy thing to do. If whistleblowers advocate for us, who advocates for them? In a world that can give whistleblowers a hard time, it’s good to know that support for individuals and families is available through this book.

Kohn’s all-encompassing dive into whistleblowing is as engaging as it is informative. If you’ve ever been an informant, or have thought about doing so, then this book will resonate strongly with you. You will learn in this book how to remain anonymous and receive rewards (if that is your aim). Kohn shows how intricate and complicated the rules and laws are for the average whistleblower. In the world of loopholes, this author is a master at showing you what they look like and how you can work with or around them. One important point of the many you will find in this book is that whistleblowers have rights as employees, and you should know them. This book is a resource for all human resource offices. Consider it a handbook for any kind of employee because the need to use it could arise at any time. If you want to read a dynamic book on the world of whistleblowing, “The Rules for Whistleblowers: A Handbook for Doing What’s Right” by Stephen Kohn, is required reading.