The Hidden Cost of Speaking Up

When whistleblowers expose corruption or serious misconduct, the price they pay often goes far beyond the immediate fallout.

💬 Loss of job and income

💬 Damage to mental and physical health

💬 Retaliation from employers or colleagues

💬 Isolation from their professional networks

In far too many cases, the final blow comes in the form of a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). It is presented as the “only way” to move forward, but in reality it is a tool to silence and protect wrongdoers.

For some whistleblowers, signing an NDA is not about “agreeing”. It is about survival. Without income, with health deteriorating, and with legal costs mounting, the pressure becomes unbearable.

This is not how a just system should work.

NDAs should never be used to bury evidence of corruption, safety breaches, or systemic abuse.

If governments are serious about protecting whistleblowers, they must act to ban the use of NDAs in cases involving public interest disclosures.

The public deserves the truth, and whistleblowers deserve protection, not silence.