Special Counsel Office investigates whistleblower retaliation at VA
Pinto Nag sends us a link to NBC News which reports that the US Office of the Special Counsel is investigating reports of retaliation against 37 whistleblowers in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs;
In a press release issued late Thursday, the OSC said the complaints alleging illegal retaliation were filed by employees at VA facilities in 19 states: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wyoming. The OSC, which is charged with protecting federal employees and applicants from prohibited personnel practices, did not identify the facilities.
Nick Schwellenbach, a spokesman for the OSC, told NBC News that the VA has “one of the highest reprisal case rates in the federal government.”
I guess that might be a reason that the system in that department is so broken – they don’t listen to folks who notice that things need to change. And then bully them into silence;
In the case detailed in the OSC release, the VA employee allegedly was informed after filing the complaint that a seven-day suspension would be imposed, had his or her performance evaluation lowered and was reassigned, the release said.
The other cases involved a VA employee who reported the “inappropriate and continuous use of patient restraints in violation of VA rules and procedures,” and a worker who was reassigned and facing demotion after disclosing the mishandling of patient care funds, it said.
Category: Veterans' Affairs Department
Isn’t it interesting that the VA is all too willing to fire those who point out their shortcomings while retaining/transferring those responsible for those shortcomings? Every single administrator at a VA hospital who had these “off the book” waiting lists or other cases of malfeasance should be fired and possibly face criminal charges. But they’d rather fire the whistleblowers (and then have we taxpayers face the cost of settling the lawsuits). Just disgusting.
What MikeD said. +100.
We will see how this goes.
As the ZDOJ defends other VA employee’s. Especially physicians that practice outside the scope of their licenses.
Sorry.
DOJ.
They’re defunding the AFGE. The agreement between the union & the VA makes it almost impossible to fire an employee. http://www.va.gov/LMR/docs/Agreements/AFGE/Master_Agreement_between_DVA_and_AFGE-fin_March_2011.pdf
An entrenched bureaucracy that makes the ‘good ol’ boys’ network look like kindergarten. Start firing from the top and work all the way down.
I got an advanced copy of the conclusion:
“…. mistakes were made….career employees were trying their best…. more training is needed…. process….reform…oversight…regrettable…. No intentional misconduct or illegal actions.”
Also, some politicians that sit on certain committees are doing their best to squash VA issue.
Hint: Jon Tester