Illegitimi non carborundum
May 25, 2018 4:35 PM Subscribe
I work for the government. I’m a lawyer and working for the government as a public servant is exactly where I want to be. I believe in the law and the work I do. Unfortunately, my boss has been working for the government for much longer than I and he no longer believes in the mission. He has asked me a few times to do something that was unethical, which I let him know, apologetically, I could not do.
He has now brought in a pretty young junior employee to attend my meetings with me. She does not work for me, she works for him. She does not communicate with me, does not respond to my emails, and when we speak she disagrees with me about the area of the law that I specialize in (she specializes in a different area of the law). I am increasingly isolated. Like I said, my work is important and requires integrity and commitment to public service. The team I am on is devoid of both. I have an opportunity to give an anonymous performance evaluation of my boss and to share my situation with senior officials, but I am afraid. My boss is powerful and his boss is even more powerful - and they are both ethically challenged. Should I submit the critical evaluation even though he might know it came from me? Or should I just contact HR and request a transfer?
He has now brought in a pretty young junior employee to attend my meetings with me. She does not work for me, she works for him. She does not communicate with me, does not respond to my emails, and when we speak she disagrees with me about the area of the law that I specialize in (she specializes in a different area of the law). I am increasingly isolated. Like I said, my work is important and requires integrity and commitment to public service. The team I am on is devoid of both. I have an opportunity to give an anonymous performance evaluation of my boss and to share my situation with senior officials, but I am afraid. My boss is powerful and his boss is even more powerful - and they are both ethically challenged. Should I submit the critical evaluation even though he might know it came from me? Or should I just contact HR and request a transfer?
Yes, be careful. When done properly, upward reviews can be a very effective and totally anonymous method for obtaining some honest performance feedback without fear of repercussions. While I don't know your individual situation, the few bits of information you provided about the work culture raises some red flags for me about just how properly this review process is being done.
From a broader perspective, though, your chances as one person to change the work culture toward demanding better leadership skills (including ethical behavior) are, well, pretty close to nil. Sorry. BTW, it's not just government agencies that can be so off-kilter and resistant to change; it's any large organization regardless of its purpose.
So your choices really boil down to: learning to put up with the BS by keeping your head down and doing your job, or seeking a transfer.
posted by DrGail at 4:55 PM on May 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
From a broader perspective, though, your chances as one person to change the work culture toward demanding better leadership skills (including ethical behavior) are, well, pretty close to nil. Sorry. BTW, it's not just government agencies that can be so off-kilter and resistant to change; it's any large organization regardless of its purpose.
So your choices really boil down to: learning to put up with the BS by keeping your head down and doing your job, or seeking a transfer.
posted by DrGail at 4:55 PM on May 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
Not that I've ever seen much result, but I've used the ethics hotline for the agency I worked for.
Oge home
posted by j_curiouser at 5:05 PM on May 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
Oge home
posted by j_curiouser at 5:05 PM on May 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
and they are both ethically challenged.
Is this more like pilfering office supplies, re-routing funds for plush stuff at the office, or outright profiteering for themselves and buddies through official choices in govt. spending? Or something even worse?
My point is, lots of stuff is unethical. For me, it would be a matter of degree. The first two examples I might be convinced to roll my eyes and overlook, rationalizing based on small total amounts, how the game is played, better than buying bombs, etc. But govt. employees can have huge potential for abuse of power, often involving real citizens' lives.
So: do what you need to do to sleep at night, that might involve being brave or just acting sleepy.
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:52 PM on May 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
Is this more like pilfering office supplies, re-routing funds for plush stuff at the office, or outright profiteering for themselves and buddies through official choices in govt. spending? Or something even worse?
My point is, lots of stuff is unethical. For me, it would be a matter of degree. The first two examples I might be convinced to roll my eyes and overlook, rationalizing based on small total amounts, how the game is played, better than buying bombs, etc. But govt. employees can have huge potential for abuse of power, often involving real citizens' lives.
So: do what you need to do to sleep at night, that might involve being brave or just acting sleepy.
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:52 PM on May 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
Is there an inspector general that has responsibility for your agency? In my experience, the IG usually has an anonymous reporting mechanism. If you’re in the US, you may be protected from retaliation (which it sounds like you may be experiencing). Document everything!
posted by eulily at 5:54 PM on May 25, 2018
posted by eulily at 5:54 PM on May 25, 2018
Yes it all depends on so many factors. Such as, what level of misfeasance or malfeasance? Do you have a staff union (as many fed agencies do even for lawyers) and are you a member and can you seek their advice? What other options do you have in your life, in terms of easy ability to transfer or to land on your feet if fired? Etc.
posted by sheldman at 6:05 PM on May 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by sheldman at 6:05 PM on May 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
In order to both maintain integrity and perform public service, substantial political savvy is typically required. I know a career government employee who says things like "It's easier to get forgiveness than permission."
This is a good person. They aren't talking about doing bad things. They are just a pragmatist and they are all too aware that trying to get permission from the bureaucracy first can be the death knell of a thing. If they want to do it and can justify it, they do it and accept responsibility and then if they have to apologize or eat crow or get told "Don't do that again in the future," well, so be it.
Given the lack of detail as to the wrong doing you have witnessed, I can't help but wonder if your much more experienced boss has made their peace with the quirks of the bureaucracy and maybe in a few years you will feel different about all of this.
When I say political savvy, I mean two things here:
1. Understanding how the system works so you can accomplish things. And I am suggesting that maybe you are naive and unrealistic and your coworkers are wiser than you rather than corrupt per se.
2. Knowing how to work with others who are less idealistic than you.
If you stay, you need to commit to really upping your game in a big way in terms of office politics. You will need to take it upon yourself to improve your working relationship with these two people and find ways to be both ethical and keep the peace here.
This may mean putting in quite a lot of hours to become more socially savvy and more knowledgeable about how the system works. It very much concerns me that you understand the system so poorly that you are asking internet strangers which option to pursue. You haven't even said what country you are in. There isn't anywhere near enough information in your question for serious Machiavellian plotting from people trying to answer this.
If you want to fight the good fight, yadda, that's a big task. It doesn't happen easily. The world will not make it easy for you to do good work and remain ethical.
So I don't really have a recommendation for you here. Though my feeling is you should probably transfer and try to survive, careerwise, long enough to fight the good fight some other day. You sound rather naive to me. If your coworkers are as unethical as you think they are, I don't think you are at this time politically savvy enough to take a stand and have some hope of surviving it.
posted by DoreenMichele at 8:08 PM on May 25, 2018 [5 favorites]
This is a good person. They aren't talking about doing bad things. They are just a pragmatist and they are all too aware that trying to get permission from the bureaucracy first can be the death knell of a thing. If they want to do it and can justify it, they do it and accept responsibility and then if they have to apologize or eat crow or get told "Don't do that again in the future," well, so be it.
Given the lack of detail as to the wrong doing you have witnessed, I can't help but wonder if your much more experienced boss has made their peace with the quirks of the bureaucracy and maybe in a few years you will feel different about all of this.
When I say political savvy, I mean two things here:
1. Understanding how the system works so you can accomplish things. And I am suggesting that maybe you are naive and unrealistic and your coworkers are wiser than you rather than corrupt per se.
2. Knowing how to work with others who are less idealistic than you.
If you stay, you need to commit to really upping your game in a big way in terms of office politics. You will need to take it upon yourself to improve your working relationship with these two people and find ways to be both ethical and keep the peace here.
This may mean putting in quite a lot of hours to become more socially savvy and more knowledgeable about how the system works. It very much concerns me that you understand the system so poorly that you are asking internet strangers which option to pursue. You haven't even said what country you are in. There isn't anywhere near enough information in your question for serious Machiavellian plotting from people trying to answer this.
If you want to fight the good fight, yadda, that's a big task. It doesn't happen easily. The world will not make it easy for you to do good work and remain ethical.
So I don't really have a recommendation for you here. Though my feeling is you should probably transfer and try to survive, careerwise, long enough to fight the good fight some other day. You sound rather naive to me. If your coworkers are as unethical as you think they are, I don't think you are at this time politically savvy enough to take a stand and have some hope of surviving it.
posted by DoreenMichele at 8:08 PM on May 25, 2018 [5 favorites]
I admire your integrity.
I would say you should submit the critical evaluation, and make it as critical as you can for everything you have solid evidence for.
Because if you don't, and simply transfer somewhere else or stay there either one, and they are ever caught out, they will do everything in their power to blame their unethical behavior on you, and you will find yourself in a very uphill battle with no one on your side as you try to defend yourself.
I assume you are doing all you can without violating rules involving handling or possessing potentially sensitive files to document what they're doing.
Keep that up, and try to identify lawyers who are experienced and successful in handling whistleblower complaints in your area of expertise, but be very circumspect should you choose to try to get in touch with one, which I think would be a good idea.
posted by jamjam at 8:44 PM on May 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
I would say you should submit the critical evaluation, and make it as critical as you can for everything you have solid evidence for.
Because if you don't, and simply transfer somewhere else or stay there either one, and they are ever caught out, they will do everything in their power to blame their unethical behavior on you, and you will find yourself in a very uphill battle with no one on your side as you try to defend yourself.
I assume you are doing all you can without violating rules involving handling or possessing potentially sensitive files to document what they're doing.
Keep that up, and try to identify lawyers who are experienced and successful in handling whistleblower complaints in your area of expertise, but be very circumspect should you choose to try to get in touch with one, which I think would be a good idea.
posted by jamjam at 8:44 PM on May 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
Is your job pretty secure? Is your pension vested?
Write out the ethical issues. Think of someone who is not connected to your state politics, maybe a law professor or colleague in another state. Ask them to review the issues with you to get a stronger sense of severity and to define the specifics. This is to help you decide if the violations warrant action. You're considering taking a very real risk, so get a 2nd brain on it.
Describe your concerns in he blandest, most factual terms. Make sure you have very good documentation for anything you allege, and make sure you have copies. For email, make sure you have copies *with the email headers (details)* so they can be shown to not be forged. You can participate in the review process. or you can take your concerns to someone in state govt. who has the ability to effect change.
I know some state bureaucrats who are very ethical and I appreciate them. Thank you for even considering this.
posted by theora55 at 10:28 AM on May 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Write out the ethical issues. Think of someone who is not connected to your state politics, maybe a law professor or colleague in another state. Ask them to review the issues with you to get a stronger sense of severity and to define the specifics. This is to help you decide if the violations warrant action. You're considering taking a very real risk, so get a 2nd brain on it.
Describe your concerns in he blandest, most factual terms. Make sure you have very good documentation for anything you allege, and make sure you have copies. For email, make sure you have copies *with the email headers (details)* so they can be shown to not be forged. You can participate in the review process. or you can take your concerns to someone in state govt. who has the ability to effect change.
I know some state bureaucrats who are very ethical and I appreciate them. Thank you for even considering this.
posted by theora55 at 10:28 AM on May 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
I agree that there's not enough info here to give advice on how to handle your boss's "ethics violations." Large scale misappropriation of funds, conflict of interest that advantages him at the expense of your client base or that sabotages the mission of your agency, etc. are all things that would be worth blowing the whistle and then seeking a new job over.
But, assuming the violations are more along the lines of bypassing bureaucratic procedure etc., it might be worth giving some thought to whether or not you can focus more on your main tasks and less on worrying about what your boss does. Sometimes, in big bureaucracies or agencies where you're dealing with huge issues, it can be easier to "turn your guns inward" and focus on the perfection--or more often, lack thereof-- of the people you're working with, rather than chipping away at the actual problem.
It sounds like your boss has decided you are in his way, though, and has found someone else to do the things he wants done. It might be worth asking for a transfer for that reason alone, since once a manager starts to feel that way, however unfairly, other problems usually follow.
posted by rpfields at 10:35 AM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
But, assuming the violations are more along the lines of bypassing bureaucratic procedure etc., it might be worth giving some thought to whether or not you can focus more on your main tasks and less on worrying about what your boss does. Sometimes, in big bureaucracies or agencies where you're dealing with huge issues, it can be easier to "turn your guns inward" and focus on the perfection--or more often, lack thereof-- of the people you're working with, rather than chipping away at the actual problem.
It sounds like your boss has decided you are in his way, though, and has found someone else to do the things he wants done. It might be worth asking for a transfer for that reason alone, since once a manager starts to feel that way, however unfairly, other problems usually follow.
posted by rpfields at 10:35 AM on May 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Bistyfrass at 4:41 PM on May 25, 2018 [6 favorites]