Is it Possible to Appeal a Whistleblower Reward?

When an employee turns in his workplace to the federal government due to illegal activity, he is usually referred to as a whistleblower. As such, if the company or governmental entity he works for is found guilty of wrongdoing, the person who turned them in can be awarded a whistleblower reward.

If, however, the reward is much smaller than the person expected, they often want to know if it is possible to appeal a whistleblower reward, and thus have the chance of being awarded more.

In some circumstances, yes, it is. It is, however, dependent on several factors.

Is the reward between the normal percentages?

The US government awards a whistleblower between 10% and 30% of the money they manage to recoup due to illegal activity on the part of the company you turned in.

If what they awarded you is between those percentages, there is not usually a right of appeal. A whistleblower lawyer, however, can advise you about this.

Have you been turned down for a whistleblower reward?

If you were the person who gave the government the information they needed, and you have still been turned down for a reward, in some circumstances you can appeal.

This does, however, usually need to be done within 30 days of the reward being denied.

It also helps if you have a lawyer that is handling your case, as he will be more aggressive in his dealings with the government than you can be. He will also know how the law is applied, and if you have been an unwitting victim yourself.

That is why, if you want to appeal a whistleblower reward and do not have a lawyer, getting one before your appeal could just be the way to go.

Dodd Frank Whistleblower

One of the SEC programs that protects whistleblowers is the Dodd Frank act. It i one of the things that has been put into place to protect those who have gotten in trouble because of actions they have taken to expose waste, fraud, corruption or abuse by their employers. These are the things that individuals can take advantage of when they are looking to find the options to protect them from the negative repercussions of their whistle blowing.

Dodd Frank Act of 2010

The Dodd Frank Act was signed into fruition in 2010 as mentioned, to protect members of the Securities and Exchange Commission who informed on their various organizations and violated the Security and Exchanges act. It also established a tip line to reward individuals who were able to give tips on violations of the SEC act. It is designed to protect informants.

Slow to award damages

Many people have put in claims under the dodd frank whistleblower act but individuals who have tried to get compensation under the act have been frustrated as to the circumstances and bureaucratic of the act. It is long process to complete although in Fy 2012-2013, over 3,000 whistleblower tips and complaints were received only one award was issued and one application was rejected.

Individuals need to go through a 3 step process in order to receive awards. Phase 1 is an intake triage phase. Phase 2 consists of tracking, and phase 3 will update whistleblowers about the status of their application, and review claims for awards. Even though compensation from 10 to 30 percent can be issued as of 2014 only 9 awards had been given to individuals.

Whistleblower Lawyer

Individuals who have been involved as a whistleblower may need a whistleblower lawyer to defend them in terms of a court case. A whistleblower is any individual who exposes fraud, corruption or abuse in an industry and is someone who frequently is disciplined or fired from an agency when taking part in bringing unfair practices to light. Make sure to use a whistleblower lawyer when you are facing legal repercussions from your decision to make the brave move in order to inform on your colleagues or an organization.

Whistleblower Lawyer

It is vital to have a whistleblower lawyer if you have negative repercussions against you for your decision to speak out. Use a whistleblower lawyer to get the compensation you deserve, when you may have been fired for outing inappropriate practices at a company. This is simply something to take advantage of when you have been dismissed unfairly, or denied wages.

What a whistleblower lawyer can do for you

A whistleblower lawyer can help you in some cases get your job back or they may be able to get you lost wages and back pay providing you are not at fault, and had legitimate complaints against the company that dismissed you. You, taking action a whistleblower is something you did as a good human being, and is something to be proud of and not vilified for. It is unfair for an individual to suffer economic repercussions for doing the right thing. Whistleblower lawyers can protect an individual from negative repercussions when they choose to expose waste, fraud, abuse or discriminatory practices by an employer.