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Original poster

Has anyone ever been a whistle blower? How? why? when? where? what happened?

71 replies

metalmaude · 19/08/2023 17:01

I have in schools twice.

Once for records being faked, including coursework grades, meeting minutes, registers, standardisation, etc

I was told if I kept complaining I would be disciplined, so I resigned.

On the second occasion for racism, and the other person lost their job, and I was treated fairly, but it was still a horrible experience

OP posts:
AldiPaldi · 19/08/2023 17:09

Yes.

Nothing happened, eventually someone else whistle blew and a bit happened.

I feel incredibly guilty, I used all mechanisms available to me and failed to protect anyone.

Original poster
metalmaude · 19/08/2023 17:11

AldiPaldi · 19/08/2023 17:09

Yes.

Nothing happened, eventually someone else whistle blew and a bit happened.

I feel incredibly guilty, I used all mechanisms available to me and failed to protect anyone.

You have nothing to feel guilty about, you tried.

I have learnt it is better to take the resulting abuse and leave with a clean conscience, rather than let it go.

However, that does depend on whether you can afford to lose your job - teachers are quite lucky in that respect, as it is easy to find another one

OP posts:
AceofPentacles · 19/08/2023 17:33

Yes as a student social worker when care home residents were being injured by mishandling . I'm not sure of the outcome as my mentor took responsibility when I left.

Summercrumble · 19/08/2023 17:39

Yes at a nursery I worked at. The manager had a grievance with a particular parent who stood her ground (she was in the right !) manager then made up safeguarding concerns and instructed us all not to speak to the parent and told a couple of us she would ‘get her kids removed’

Original poster
metalmaude · 19/08/2023 17:40

Summercrumble · 19/08/2023 17:39

Yes at a nursery I worked at. The manager had a grievance with a particular parent who stood her ground (she was in the right !) manager then made up safeguarding concerns and instructed us all not to speak to the parent and told a couple of us she would ‘get her kids removed’

OMG terrifying! Good for you for speaking up!

OP posts:
Pleasegivemeyourwisdom · 19/08/2023 17:41

Yes

3 times

put my career / heart / MH on line to do it each time

only once was there a satisfactory outcome for patients / the service - and guess what. That was in the non-NHS organisation.

HaveYouHeardOfARoadAtlas · 19/08/2023 17:43

Yes. In the nhs. The very senior manager got sacked for bullying. I wasn’t the only one who whistle blew.

Summercrumble · 19/08/2023 17:43

metalmaude · 19/08/2023 17:40

OMG terrifying! Good for you for speaking up!

Show quote history

It was terrible , she had always been unprofessional and deeply unpleasant as an employer but that was just a step too far

queenofthewild · 19/08/2023 17:56

Yes. I caught a work colleague falsifying expenses claims on more than one occasion. He also bragged to me that he was making lots of unnecessary work trips to rack up air miles which would pay for his honeymoon.

I reported it all, as did a colleague. We were both told that we were acting maliciously and seemed jealous because he was more successful than us. Our concerns were ignored.

A couple of years later he was caught out. He had set up some "companies" and was invoicing the company I worked at for services he had outsourced to these "companies". There was no outsourcing and nobody worked for these companies. He was just funnelling money out of the business. He's in jail now.

Chewyspree · 19/08/2023 18:03

Yes - NHS.
The doctor was investigated and I was interviewed by an external company who the Trust called in to do a review of the doctor’s work and general attitude towards colleagues. Specifically, women.

There were no reprisals for me but I only spoke up because I didn’t have a perm job with the Trust.

I have a couple decades experience of being a union rep/branch chair and I am always very upfront with members that the whistleblower often finds themselves the subject of an investigation and sometimes is dismissed from post. You have to be very, very brave and be absolutely certain about what you are doing before you whistle blow. It is not for the faint hearted.

Duchessofspace · 19/08/2023 18:12

Yes twice.

I found out my first day at a new job - literally looking at an excel sheet and numbers didn’t add up - it was obvious but I kept thinking I’m going to look like a right twat on my first day taking this to the big boss.

I did the guy in question had interestingly put in his notice before I arrived. He was sent home on gardening leave. I couldn’t believe it but I was told the big boss would deal with it. Actually all that happened was I redid all his work, he left and started his new job and got promoted - he suffered nothing and nothing happened it was swept away - he pops up on my LinkedIn every now and again bloody farce

about 5 years ago my boss copied me in on an email chain but did realise the entire chain was copied on - he had made sexist, racist and rude remarks about colleagues to a friend outside the organisation I copied it to all the board of directors. He lost his job actually he resigned being 62 with a full pension and I used to see him around and about with his new 27 year old wife and thought he’s literally again got away with it.

CheckedOutAlready · 19/08/2023 18:13

Was asked to commit mortgage fraud when I was fresh out of school and an office assistant. Turns out the company owners were convicted for about £3m in fraud because if me and this was over 30 years ago. I got an award from the Mayor of London.

CatTamerExtraordinaire · 19/08/2023 18:17

Only once in my 60 years, around 7 years ago. I initially raised the problem with top management but got nowhere. After much soul searching I spoke anonymously to CQC who took effective action (if work figured out it was me it would have been the end of my career). It took courage but i had to prioritise safeguarding for service users

Hadalifeonce · 19/08/2023 18:20

I once told my boss I was concerned about one of the guys in finance. He asked if I had any evidence or proof of wrong doing. I had nothing, just convinced something was wrong. Luckily my boss trusted my instincts and some investigation was set up, turns out he was about a month away from gaining about £1m from the company, I don't know what happened to him, apart from his disappearing from the company PDQ. It was never mentioned again.

RescueABC · 19/08/2023 18:36

Yes. A person in charge of young children, psychologically harming them over many years. A person who was highly regarded by many, apart from those who had experienced and witnessed the abuse. A person who felt they were untouchable. But the whistleblowing paid off. They were let go. The price that was paid by the whistleblower: bullied and ostracised.

Whistleblowing is not for the faint hearted. I have the utmost respect for anyone who dares to speak up when vulnerable people are being exploited and abused. Remember, they always chose their victims, they don't do it to everyone, they're clever. Don't doubt yourself when you know that abuse is taking place. Report it and keep strong.

greyhairnomore · 19/08/2023 18:41

Yes. About our terrible boss (NHS) absolutely nothing happened.
We were more or less told to 'play nice'

RescueABC · 19/08/2023 18:48

Good idea for a thread.

The case I mentioned above has affected my mental health adversely, I hope it will get better.

It seems that WB doesn't often pay off but I couldn't live with myself ignoring such injustice. But the price the whistleblower pays is often high and brings little gain.

I am quite passionate about this topic, if anyone can link to books, podcasts about WB, that would be very interesting!

It's not easy doing the 'right thing', especially if you have dependants.

Purplepeoniesdroppingpetals · 19/08/2023 18:57

Once early in my career (HE), as part of a group of concerned employees. Ended up in court and employment ended for the individual. He deserved it.

stbrandonsboat · 19/08/2023 19:01

Yes. A care assistant slapped and swore at an elderly dementia resident whilst getting her up that morning. I was the qualified nurse on duty and saw everything. I reported it, but the other care assistant who was also in the room lied and it was covered up. The carer actually admitted having slapped the resident, but, as she worked four nights a week, was deemed too valuable to lose.

I phoned the RCN, who were my union, and they advised me to leave because I would be making myself vulnerable by working alongside those two care assistants on my own, on nightshifts. So I had to leave. They knew what this woman was like and still covered it up.

CreativeUsername1001 · 19/08/2023 19:04

Yes, my boss was embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds. Unfortunately he took us all down with him as the processes he’d put in place over his 35 years in charge made us all guilty of fraud. I lost my career over it and had to completely start over. This was 20 years ago.

YouHoooo · 19/08/2023 19:10

We were in breach of my profession’s voluntary (but well respected) code of conduct.

I flagged it to the boss, who told me to shut up (basically).

A few months after leaving I tipped off Private Eye. They changed things fairly speedily after that!

JoanThursday · 19/08/2023 19:22

Yes. Workplace bullying in HE. They lost their job. And it transpired that I was one of several blowing the whistle - we all stood shoulder to shoulder and said 'enough'.

Original poster
metalmaude · 19/08/2023 19:22

wow, so many really strong courageous people - thank you for anyone who has ever done it. It is better for all of us.

OP posts:
IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 19/08/2023 19:31

Yes

Dodgy procurement practice, repeatedly, despite informal challenges by colleagues.(public sector).

Several months later I was interviewed, and asked to provide any evidence. I don't think I was the only one interviewed.

The individual concerned went off sick shortly after. Retuned to a different department a year or so later, and now no longer works for us.

weemouse · 19/08/2023 19:53

Yes, a colleague was abusing an position of privilege and trust relating to hiring process, and being racially biased.
She was investigated and dismissed.