Whistle Blower Protection - Strategies for BC

Whistle blowing is the act of a person who, believing that the public interest overrides the interest of the organization he serves, tells the public or authorities outside her organization that the organization is involved in corrupt, illegal, fraudulent, immoral or harmful activity. Whistle blowing has a long and varied history. Whistle blowers have been held up as conscientious heroes and scorned as traitors and malcontents. Thus, it is not surprising that whistle blower protection whether it be in the form of common law doctrines, government policy, legislation or collective agreement provisions will inevitably try to strike a balance. On the one hand, it will try to protect freedom of expression and disclosure in the public interest. On the other hand, it will try to protect the basic duty of loyalty owed by employees to their employers.