Final answer:
Whistleblowers often face mistreatment in reaction to their actions, despite protective legislation such as the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 and the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989. These laws aim to shield such individuals from negative consequences that may follow their disclosure of organizational misconduct. Nonetheless, the real-world experience of whistleblowers can include hostility, unfair treatment, and professional setbacks.
Step-by-step explanation:
Whistleblowers play a vital role in organizations by exposing unethical or illegal activities. Unfortunately, they can expect to be mistreated as a potential consequence of their actions. The content loaded topic of whistleblowers shows that, historically, many individuals have faced retaliation for speaking out, which may manifest in being ostracized by coworkers, receiving negative performance evaluations, or even termination.
An example can be seen with federal employees. Under the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, specific rights and protections were put in place for federal whistleblowers. These protections have been strengthened over time with laws such as the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 and the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012, to safeguard these individuals from reprisals and ensure they are treated fairly when exposing wrongdoing.
Despite the legal protections, the reality for many whistleblowers can be harsh, with experiences like extensive working hours, low pay, lack of autonomy, and hostility from supervisors and clients, similar to what Tyre faced as a nursing assistant. When employees perceive that they are being treated unfairly, as research by Greenberg illustrated, it may lead to negative behaviors like stealing, which underscores the importance of procedural justice in the workplace.