WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday said whistleblower protections apply not just to publicly traded companies but also to subcontractors that do business with them.
The justices voted 6-3 along non-ideological lines in a ruling that extends whistleblower protections to investment advisers, law firms, accounting firms and other such businesses working for public companies.
The three dissenting justices said the ruling had a “stunning reach” that could give protections far beyond that, potentially even reaching household employees like babysitters.
The National Federation of Independent Business criticized the decision, saying in a statement that it gave plaintiffs’ lawyers “additional incentives to pursue aggressive litigation” against employers.
