Whistleblowers, as described in “Law and Ethics in the Business Environment”, are individuals who report illegal or unethical activity, usually executed by their employer. Most whistleblowers, who are at-will employees, are victims of retaliation by their employers, up to and including termination. These at-will employees are protected under numerous laws established by federal and state governments, which apply to both private and public employees. At-will employees are protected, in most states, by the common law approach that employees are not to be removed from a company unless he or she violates the employer’s handbook or policy statement. Tort law also protects at-will employees by awarding a whistleblower money damages for wrongful discharge. The most relevant law is that of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2012, which protects employees who report fraud within public traded companies. In most instances, whistleblowers are long-term loyal employees who often must go to outside authorities or the media, only after their voices were not heard by company authority. (Halbert & Ingulli, 2012) I believe whistleblowing first protects the company’s internal and external customers. Without whistleblowers, a company can cause customers to endure physical or financial distress. Whistleblowing, under certain circumstances, can also protect the company and/or the whistleblower. The whistleblower can protect themselves from criminal charges if they report illegal activities which company instructed him or her to perform before they are performed. The company can be protected by a whistleblower, if the whistle is blown before the unethical or illegal actions financially destroy the company. On January 16, 2015, Southwest Airlines, a publicly traded airline company, agreed to pay $35,000 to a company mechanic, Charles Hall. This payment by Southwest Airlines was to