Whistleblowers

Fighting Back! 

Jackie Garrick

Whistleblowers of America

With all the talk about a Whistleblower in the news last week, there is no better time than now to explain the impact on whistleblowers. 

Jacqueline Garrick is the Founder of Whistleblowers of America, Workplace Promise Institute. She is compassionate and has dedicated her life to helping others. Jackie was a whistleblower herself who had been retaliated against and suffered the grave consequences. She was terminated, and without financial means to employ an attorney she took on the legal battle herself, and she succeeded. But not without enduring the consequences. Retaliation is bad enough, but standing up to right the wrong has consequences all its own. 

 "The financial ruin, defamation of character, social ostracism, public humiliation, and the loss of belonging and a lost sense of purpose, impact employees who become depressed, anxious, and suicidal. They suffer from the symptoms of PTSD. They have nightmares, intrusive thoughts, flashbacks and become guilt-ridden, avoidant, and angry. They face divorce, homelessness, and poverty as they struggle with their emotional decline and stagnation because of workplace traumatic stress." Jackie Garrick

While I was conducting a search as to the impact to whistleblowers, I came across the following article, based on Jackie's research. This is a must read if you have suffered the consequences of retaliation, harassment, or discrimination of any kind or know someone who has. 

                            Whistleblower Retaliation Checklist

Abstract: 

Whistleblowers are an often misunderstood and miscategorized group of employees who suffer retribution for being relators of organizational wrongdoing. They step forward because they feel compelled to speak out against illegalities, improprieties, or injustices that could cause harm to the public welfare or to other individuals. But, when whistleblowers take on powerful, entrenched systems whose leadership has perpetrated or condoned these injustices, retaliation, harassment, and discrimination often ensues.

These workplace traumatic stressors have long-term psychosocial impacts on these ethical individuals, but the toxic retaliatory tactics used against them are not well documented, classified, or quantified. The mental health profession needs to have a trauma-informed framework for understanding the taxonomy of workplace retaliatory tactics and the means to help their patients mitigate the psychological distress these individuals face. This is especially important when conducting forensic exams for treatment or compensatory damages. Furthermore, organizations that want to be salutogenic for their staff, effective in their missions, and conserve their public and often global reputations need to incorporate whistleblowing protective practices into their management structure and social cultures. 

This article analyzes the Whistleblower Retaliation Checklist (WRC) survey results, hundreds of peer support conversations with whistleblowers, and it offers a comprehensive literature review. It is meant to give insight into the psychosocial impacts of life after whistleblowing and the need for a new mental health paradigm to emerge for all employees, first relators, and their employers. 

Not only has Jackie conducted extensive research,

but her book is about to be released!

You can Pre-Order HERE

Jackie understands that those who have faced retaliation often suffer from PTSD.  If you have been retaliated against and need assistance you can reach out to Jackie here: 

jackie@whistleblowersofamerica.org

www.whistleblowersofamerica.org

Enjoy the Journey!

XO Karlene