What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
I live in Virginia, employer is a "quasi-government" organization in Washington D.C.
My organization has been in the news regarding catastrophic safety failures. (Big giveaway there.)
I work in a department that maintains a particular system that is critical to worker safety as well as emergency responders in the event of another catastrophe or some sort of attack... (See London 2005, Madrid 2004, Tokyo 1995... That just kinda confirms my employer.)
This particular system has had MANY issues and I usually get an earful when it fails. The failures can be traced back to poor engineering, poor planning, and cost cutting on parts when it was installed.
I have heard that the superintendent of my department (My boss's boss's boss's boss... Four levels up, not including me... And well under the General Manager of the company...) worked for the contractor that installed the system years ago, and when he came to the company was in charge of testing and accepting the system... Sounds like a conflict of interest to me... And probably the precise reason that people have been offering solutions in the department and nothing is being done.
Regardless, it's hearsay and not really what I'm after... Not yet anyhow. I have left that out of the document I've prepared...
What is in the document is the theory of operation on how the system is supposed to work, a basic analysis on the causes of failure, the existing proposed temporary solutions that have been offered by management, criticism of these solutions, and my offering of a permanent solution... The only solution... One that both my direct supervisor and his boss both agree on, but are kinda yesmen to upper management about.
The document explains the technical aspects in language that a layperson can understand. It mentions no names, makes no accusations, and sticks straight to the facts.
Thing is, I have no clue what to do with it. Whom should I submit it to? How can I avoid any repercussions and disciplinary action.
I am a Union represented employee. But the Union has failed me in the past...
I really kinda like the shift that I'm on... But more than that, I really like being able to pay my bills and keep health insurance and all the other pleasantries that employment provides.
I hate the, "Just do what you're told." mentality that my co-workers have.
I hate the political bureaucracy that is middle and upper management.
But mostly, I'm rocking the boat because I don't want anyone to get hurt because a system that I work to maintain failed.
OSHA, the NTSB, I dunno... someone's gotta care what I have to say. And I'll send it to anyone who will be able to do something about it... But I wanna do so without consequence. I'm not a martyr.
I don't know what protections are in place for me.
I live in Virginia, employer is a "quasi-government" organization in Washington D.C.
My organization has been in the news regarding catastrophic safety failures. (Big giveaway there.)
I work in a department that maintains a particular system that is critical to worker safety as well as emergency responders in the event of another catastrophe or some sort of attack... (See London 2005, Madrid 2004, Tokyo 1995... That just kinda confirms my employer.)
This particular system has had MANY issues and I usually get an earful when it fails. The failures can be traced back to poor engineering, poor planning, and cost cutting on parts when it was installed.
I have heard that the superintendent of my department (My boss's boss's boss's boss... Four levels up, not including me... And well under the General Manager of the company...) worked for the contractor that installed the system years ago, and when he came to the company was in charge of testing and accepting the system... Sounds like a conflict of interest to me... And probably the precise reason that people have been offering solutions in the department and nothing is being done.
Regardless, it's hearsay and not really what I'm after... Not yet anyhow. I have left that out of the document I've prepared...
What is in the document is the theory of operation on how the system is supposed to work, a basic analysis on the causes of failure, the existing proposed temporary solutions that have been offered by management, criticism of these solutions, and my offering of a permanent solution... The only solution... One that both my direct supervisor and his boss both agree on, but are kinda yesmen to upper management about.
The document explains the technical aspects in language that a layperson can understand. It mentions no names, makes no accusations, and sticks straight to the facts.
Thing is, I have no clue what to do with it. Whom should I submit it to? How can I avoid any repercussions and disciplinary action.
I am a Union represented employee. But the Union has failed me in the past...
I really kinda like the shift that I'm on... But more than that, I really like being able to pay my bills and keep health insurance and all the other pleasantries that employment provides.
I hate the, "Just do what you're told." mentality that my co-workers have.
I hate the political bureaucracy that is middle and upper management.
But mostly, I'm rocking the boat because I don't want anyone to get hurt because a system that I work to maintain failed.
OSHA, the NTSB, I dunno... someone's gotta care what I have to say. And I'll send it to anyone who will be able to do something about it... But I wanna do so without consequence. I'm not a martyr.
I don't know what protections are in place for me.