Have you ever and would you?
Would it depend if it resulted in you losing your job or if it affected others adversely?

I'm in a bit of a ponder.
The company I work for does everything by the book in terms of health and safety (or so it would appear) we are very strict on anything that would affect our accreditation status, however, I have a big problem with the way some of our chemicals are disposed of. It isn't legal. To have them disposed of correctly would cost the company money (of course) and I think that the boss regards this as a waste because of the small volume of these chemicals being discarded each week.

A colleague of mine who is very unhappy with working conditions overall confided to me last week that she is looking for another job and that when she leaves she would like to report the company to the environment agency, but probably wouldn't because she wouldn't want us to lose our jobs. I don't think it would come to that, but I agree that it has crossed my mind.
I told her that if she felt the need to do this then I support her, because it bothers me too and also I don't believe we could lose our jobs over it (the boss would probably get a very big rap on the knuckles and a fine) and if I did lose my job, well so be it, not the end of the world, I'll get another one.
But hang on......... not just about me. There are few people there that I like, I would go as far as to say that there are a some that I dislike intensely and hand on heart I wouldn't care what happened to them, but there are some that I get on with superbly well, they are good people and one has just bought a house and tells me that losing his job would be a disaster another is a single mum and she relies on the flexible hours and close proximity to her home and school.

This is not something I would do out of spite, I have a genuine concern. I've spotted dead wildlife near by and we had to kill a rabbit a while back because it was in a bad way.
I just don't know how to deal with my conscience.
If you have been a whistleblower, what were the circumstances and who suffered?

I have never had to make this choice, thank God :sad:

But Bob, if things like this are allowed to go on who knows how much long term damage will be done.

If the company can't afford to comply with the law should they be operating anyway? And isn't the correct thing to do to lobby the government, rather than just kill wildlife?

I think your conscience will only be clear if you report this. There are always other jobs, though I doubt things will be that bad....I would hazard a guess that compliance would probably eat into profits rather than sink the company in to oblivion.

Bob - I think you may know what I am about to say??

For the sake of the environment, and more importantly the water course that surrounds your work place - that will eventually flow into drinkable reserves - you HAVE to do something about it.

Thing is - if you do [and kept it quiet] the company wil get either fined or wrapped over the knuckles [fined with any luck]. It is not going to cease trading just because they have to spend a bit more on correct chemical disposal!! Ok a few jobs may go - but on the grand scale of health matters - I think this is a risk that you have to take.

It is obviously irking you and your colleague so much that you mention it here.

Whistleblowing?? Hmmmmmm?? I haven't gone out of my way to whistleblow, but I did, on many many, hundreds of ocassions stood up and told the truth in a court of law. Whether that would be classed as whistleblowing is subjective to who I was telling the truth about.

Thing is Bob - the way I see it, I would doubt very much whether your company is the only one doing this! So if there are 2 or more companies polluting in this fashion - not only is it a crime, but a major health hazard too.

nb. I am not sure whether you actually have to do this publically, you can always do it anonymously.

You know it's wrong - so you must do the right thing.

I've not been in a situation like that myself, but if you believe the disposal of these chemicals is creating a risk to the environment, I think you should at least try to talk to the person/s within the company who are responsible.

Perhaps rather than reporting it, or waiting for your friend to report it, you should see if you can come up with a safer method of disposal. Maybe you know someone who can help you with this without dropping the company in the doo doo at this stage.

If you can find a way to help the company comply with health and safety legislation without it costing an arm and a leg, you might even get a bonus rather than laid off. It might be worth a thought. Good luck.

This is a horrible dilemma for you Bob. Its not a situation that I have ever been in myself, so I can't say for certain how I would act in your shoes, but I'd like to think that I would report the company to the appropriate regulatory body.

To my mind, if the only way the company can operate profitably is by disposing of chemical waste illegally and at risk to the environment, then they shouldn't be in operation. And if they could still operate profitably if they dispose of the waste properly, then they should be forced to do so. Its as simple as that. At the moment, the surrounding wildlife is suffering and that makes you feel bad - but how much worse would you feel if, 20 years down the line, you hear stories of local children suffering through chemical poisoning and you knew you did nothing to prevent it?

I understand your concerns about your colleagues jobs though, but there is a chance that the company may not be forced to close if reported. Perhaps they may get a fine and be forced into legal waste disposal.

This is what I think I'd do. I'd try and find out what the likely outcome would be if the company was "discovered". If it is a question of a fine and change in procedure, I'd report the company to the environmental agency anonomously. If it is likely that the company would be forced into closure, then I'd leak their activities to a newspaper, perhaps local, who might be interested in doing some investigative journalism. The company would still be "found out", but the process would be slightly slower and would not involve overnight closure, thereby allowing your colleagues a bit more breathing space in which to find another job etc.

Either way, good luck with it Bob.

Oh Bob I do sympathise with you - I have never been in this situation and would never want to be but I think as most people have said, you have to be true to yourself.

Chances are that this is not a situation that has been in existence for a short period of time and the effects are only going to get worse. If I understand these matters correctly, it will take more than just stopping the pollution but there will be damage to the environment already caused to be rectified.

To look at an even bigger picture - Erin Brokovitch comes to mind.

To look at an even bigger picture - Erin Brokovitch comes to mind.

Wow - I wish I had thought of that jaycee - what a superb comparison, look even Bob has the right name - Bob Brokovitch!!

I challenged the practices of a place of work a couple of years ago. I lost my job and so did 2 others with another person relocated. A lot of bad PR. After some thought, I approached for legal advice and now it is at the negotiation stage. There was definitely an element of David and Goliath in me doing this, and definitely, from the employers perspective, they really didnt think I would dare. In terms of aggravation there has been a lot. In terms of stress, loss of income, reputation being challenged etc etc etc A huge load of personal costs. The light in this is that I knew I was acting correctly, and by the law, and that not acting would have a negative consequence for people who were a lot more vulnerable than me. However, in relation to your work, I think it is not a simple or easy decision and it may have significant repercussions for you. Some research into the law and the potential violations may be useful before you decide, if you do, to act. Then to consider what way you are going to act. In my case, it was important I followed all informal, internal channels first, then formal, internal channels and then a no. of other external consultations prior to taking the legal route. So it is worth checking this out, possibly anonymously with an environmental organisation, possible union/legal advice. Just some thoughts.

You know it's wrong - so you must do the right thing. Im with Secrets. Its not so much whistleblowing as you doing your moral duty.

...but Tonee makes a good point about following process. Moral duty is one thing, but you do need to protect yourself. Find out if the company has a whistleblowing policy and/or environmental policy first. Then get some good expert advice!

Some good info here: http://www.dti.gov.uk/er/individual/pidguide-pl502.htm#sec1

Thanks Fee, that's a really useful link.
I don't think that we would be closed down if the environmental health were to investigate; it would probably be fine, the quantities involved are small, it's only certain chemicals, but still harmful in the long term I believe.
I think my concern over job loses is that we might lose contracts if our customers found out.
Talking to boss about this is a big no no! We are not supposed to know this goes on, but I did suspect and did a bit of nosing around, and after my friend voiced concerns too I knew it was true. My boss knows all too well that this is wrong, hence the secrecy, at the end of the day it all comes down to money, he's a bad business man and doesn't trust anyone to take responsibility he deals with everything himself. He is so tight with the budget that he even drives to the tip everyday rather than pay to have the rubbish collected! That's not right either; the council would also be interested to know that, it’s household waste only!
I'll certainly think long and hard about this before I make a decision.
I had thought about getting some literature from the environmental health and posting it to him!

Aside from my issue here. Do any of you think whistleblowing is ever wrong? Say for example if it were just to get back at the company because you had a grudge? If you look hard enough into any company I'm sure you'll find that they are wrong doings in some way. My last employer was claiming grants for work that was not completed and never returned the money. I didn't do anything about this If there is a real case no matter how small is whistleblowing always ethical?

What if someone whistleblew as a grudge, the resulting publicity damaged the business and lots of people lost their jobs?

I feel it depends to some extent on what the company misdemeanour is and the extent of the damage it causes. And where the greater damage therefore lies.

I have been thinking about this since I read the post last night.....sometimes its better for me to mull things over!

I feel very strongly about Environmental issues, I was furious recently when a local company in Devon dumped a load of paint and other chemicals on Dartmoor, without a thought of wildlife and the effect it would have if it got into water supplies........

A few years ago, I worked for an engineering firm, and they were really hot on how to dispose of chemicals etc, but they DID have guidelines and rules to follow as issued by Environmental Health, and the MD had to sign for the type of waste we produced - it seems strange that your Organiasation hasnt had to do the same Bob.........

I can understand where you are coming from with regards to reporting it, the threat of losing your job is a big factor to considor.....and the knock on effect on your collegues etc......

BUT, what you have to consider is that what they are doing is illegal - and they should be stopped - there are too many people that dont consider the Environment and the effect their actions have on it.....

I would have no qualms about reporting it and will do anything to help, just PM me if you want me to!