WELCOME!
Welcome to an anonymous site that recognizes the importance of all employees, and especially those who are faced with having to report violations in the workplace by exercising their whistleblower protection rights under the law. Ironically, much corruption exists among the bureaucracy thereby infringing on those legal protections. This blog is not to expose company names or individuals but to share experiences and have a professional exchange building on the body of knowledge. Thank you!
Finally a place that we can post to if we've been retaliated against. I lost my job for reporting someone that was hacking into my jobs database.
ReplyDeleteThat's how if often works. You get annual training to recognize violations in policy, law, rule, or regulations, then are mandated to report it through proper channels, then are dismissed from your job by administration for exposing violations/wrongdoing in the workplace. It is a catch-22 and the ethical employee loses. Most cannot do anything to prove the retaliation. I would start by doing a FOIA request, if you can afford to do so after being removed from the company. Create a log/timeline so you can clearly recall events. Then categorize and file any emails or FOIA docs to support the events. Write down potential witnesses. That's a starting point.
DeleteThank you for this website! I worked many public service jobs and was happy at my last job at the Sherriff's department. However, over the years, I witnessed fellow co-workers humiliated and fired when bringing up civil abuses, breaches in policy, and gross mismanagement. I was shocked. I recommend whistleblowers speak publicly; otherwise, they get swept under the carpet for doing the right thing. Pursue all avenues and expose immoral executives who should protect employees!
ReplyDeleteWell stated! Whistleblowers need fellow support to survive the smear until they land on higher ground. Many potential witnesses fear culpability and vulnerability when they see bad things happening to hard-working employees; therefore, they become dismissive, suffer "amnesia," or lack candor when questioned. Sadly, stonewalling and horizontal violence are common developments.
DeleteI worked with an insurance company that up coded patient diseases for higher reimbursement from Medicare without the necessary evidence to support the claims. When I complained to the internal ethics committee about their practice, I was reassigned to a job that was over an hour commute away under difficult circumstances. The workplace became hostile.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! Very sad & common in the medical field. 'Padding' bills is done in many ways. Fraud is serious and illegal. So is reprisal for making such protected disclosures. It takes courage to report when the hostile tactics unfold! Hope you forwarded all email (removing PHI/PII). FOIA requests help too. The timeline of retaliation needs to correlate with your protected disclosures. Best wishes and hope you remain tenacious. :)
DeleteDenise,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear of your situation. It seems to me that you were trying to alert your company to its illegal activity. Do you think there is a difference between being a “team player” and a Whistleblower?
I feel a team player is someone who will take a hit for the organization and keep on going. They will always keep the organization’s best interests in mind. A Whistleblower will stand up against the organization if need be, and attempt to amend what is wrong. These quotes from Richard Theime really hit home in regard to my own personal Whistleblowing situation:
Thieme (2003) says:
We are all team players, all of us some of the time, some of us all of the time, but we each have our own particular crossroads where we must decide if our words will become flesh. It is never easy and there are always consequences. Only integrity will see us through to the bitter end and none of us really know if we have it until it is tested.
Thieme (2003) also stated further:
The tension comes from the fact that only an individual can have a conscience. An institution or organization can develop a culture that supports doing the right thing only when a leader pursues that objective with single-minded intensity. Left to themselves, all cultures are based on survival, not telling the truth. Cultures reward team players, not whistleblowers. In all my years as a teacher, priest, speaker and consultant, I have never seen a culture with a conscience…Institutions usually encourage disclosure only when it no longer matters.”
A team player and a Whistleblower might be one and the same if a team player is voicing a wrong-doing in his or her organization in attempt to benefit the organization, which, in your case, I feel that you were doing. After all, you were not trying to destroy the organization. Since businesses do not have a “heart” of their own, they depend on employees to retain their integrity. I sincerely wish the best for you and commend you on your efforts to bring this situation to the internal ethics committee.
References
Thieme, R. (2003, January 17). Whistleblowers and Team Players. Retrieved September 29, 2017, from http://www.thiemeworks.com/whistleblowers-and-team-players/
I know of retaliation and bullying and harassment taking place where I work. Those who try to do the right thing are not given work to do, and then called unproductive. Or blamed for problems. Or humiliated, and forced to quit, if not outright fired. it's not fair - these are good people, doing what we're instructed to do in all those annual trainings.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your observations. It's a fundamental wrong for political bureaucrats to pointedly destroy the lives of those who are good clinicians and/or employees who dare to make protected disclosures. Many hard-working personnel closely adhere to policies, rules, and regulations. Reporting truths to expose blatant violations can place one out on a limb, yet, these channels were created to foster quality assurance and to promote optimal patient care and outcomes. We all have voices and choices to expose harmful practices. In so doing, we hope to lessen toxic and thriving hostile work cultures and reprisal. Thanks for your input and honesty! :)
DeleteI personally have experienced a termination from a large firm, which I can not name due to the settlement agreement. Once I started bringing up violations to management, they told me "oh we will take care of it", on a number of occasions. But nothing ever happened. I kept informing them of the violations and that it was getting worse. They were obviously happy with my work since they gave me the largest account in the firm, but I came in to work after tax season was over and was terminated. We settled out of court. We really don't have the support in our workforce because the government is full of lies and thieves, why would they support WHISTLE BLOWING? They would be counter productive to their agendas. I mean you would have to be blind not to see all the corruption in our government and our work force. It is highly frowned upon to speak up.
DeleteThank you for sharing your experience. Congratulations for having the "courage for your convictions", as my grandfather used to say. You highlight many moral fundamentals that should be considered by all. The settlements paid out because of corrupt enterprises is alarming. Glad you were able to settle.
DeleteI think the VFW and other veteran centered communities are excellent venues to host the whistleblower meetings. Great move; this affects them the most!
ReplyDeleteGlad to have a site like this so we know we are not alone. It's horrible to know you are doing the right thing then get retaliation. So unfair.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your support. Life can be unfair but hats off to all those that fight for truth and justice.
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