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Managing Whistleblower Risks

 
 

Both the law and corporate policy increasingly encourages, if not requires, employees to report potential legal violations – either internally or to a regulatory agency. Employees’ suspicions regarding such violations may or may not be correct, and reports may sometimes be opportunistic efforts to avoid workplace discipline. Given the pervasiveness of compliance concerns, all managers need to understand the law governing workplace whistleblowing. This course explores the vast array of federal and state laws that protect employees who report misconduct by their employers. Topics covered include common-law whistleblower protections, state and federal whistleblower statutes, strategies for managing whistleblowers and whistleblowing, and the roles of human resources and executive-level professionals in the whistleblower management process. Although the focus is not limited to the healthcare industry, examples of healthcare-related whistleblower cases are examined throughout the course.

Upon completion of this certificate course, you will be able to:

  1. Describe the rationale behind public policy tort law
  2. Summarize key sources of law relevant to wrongful discharge
  3. Understand what constitutes "retaliation" and identify the kinds of employee conduct protected from retaliation
  4. Explain what actions managers can and cannot take toward a whistleblowing employee
  5. Apply risk management strategies to help deal with potential whistleblower claims
  6. Articulate the unique role of human resources professionals in dealing with whistleblower situations
  7. Recognize situations in which professional legal advice is necessary and how to communicate effectively with professional legal counsel

The Managing Whistleblower Risks course can be completed in just 8 weeks. Coursework must be completed in the sequence in which it is offered. You should plan to spend about 6-8 hours per week on online coursework, including reading assignments, research and writing projects, and online discussions.


 
 

Division of Online Learning

[email protected] | 973-642-8747 or 973-761-9000 ext. 8747