what would happen if....

[deysongrey]

I have always wondered what would happen if you try to strongarm your boss with some dirty intel. Not blackmail for money or anything, but just to get out of trouble or something. Like saying "if you write me up for this we will just have to see what the fda says about......." assuming its a real thing and you have proof. No im nt doing this to anyone but ive thought of it often and always ask myself what if...

[Jay 2K Winger]

I have always wondered what would happen if you try to strongarm your boss with some dirty intel. Not blackmail for money or anything, but just to get out of trouble or something. Like saying "if you write me up for this we will just have to see what the fda says about......." assuming its a real thing and you have proof. No im nt doing this to anyone but ive thought of it often and always ask myself what if...

In my case? Maybe nothing short term, but long term I'd probably lose my security clearance and thus my job and thus find it hard to get employed anywhere in the area with my experience.

Depending on the nature of the intel, I'd probably also be looking at reprisals from The Client, which.... does not fill me with happy shiny sunny goodthink.

[deysongrey]

That's much larger scale than I was thinking. Security clearances and clients and stuff. I'm thinking along the lines of "Hey Mr. McBoss, if you insist on writing me up, let's see what the FDA says about all those outdated hamburgers you've been selling." or "What would OSHA think about your lack of safety equipment?"

I could see you straight up getting terminated, but then you just make the phone call you were threatening to. Would that be considered blackmail?

[EricKei]

In the US, at least, Whistleblower laws might come into effect if one's job was lost, but that would require that the fired employee had the evidence, drive, and (possibly) money to go through with a lawsuit. Of course, blackmail is never really a good idea anyway ~_~

[Antisocial_Worker]

In my state, you'd be fired immediately with no recourse. If you tried taking your juicy gossip to the media, you'd be smeared as a disgruntled employee and your name would be mud indefinitely when it came to trying to apply for even the most menial work.

[Aislin]

Depends on how stupid your boss is. I have an ex coworker who caused an environmental hazard and threaten to call Osha if she got written up and got away with it. She also stole thousand of
Dollars in photos and yet still has a job. 6 different supervisors have tried to fire her but the home office blocks it every time because she could "get them". If they had any brains they would just get rid of her. There is 10 years of proof she is incompetent

[KuariKaydrith]

I know when a previous job was threatening to terminate my employment for having taken much needed time off for mental health reasons - after my HR and manager had advised me to take said time off - I told them point blank that if I lost my job over it I would go directly to the media. I had saved and printed off hard copies of the emails where they told me it was perfectly okay for me to take that time off in order to back my claims if I did go to the media...they promptly backed off after I told them that. And then I went on a personal campaign at that place for mental health awareness so that everybody there knew what their rights were and to also get hard copy of everything in case HR and management decided to try to use any mental health issues against them. I'm pretty sure that HR and management were rather happy to see me leave on my own for a better, less triggering, job

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

In my state, you'd be fired immediately with no recourse. If you tried taking your juicy gossip to the media, you'd be smeared as a disgruntled employee and your name would be mud indefinitely when it came to trying to apply for even the most menial work.

This. They'll fire you and do a quick clean-up and restocking of safety equipment so that there's nothing for OSHA or the local health department to act on.

And they'll make sure to let possible future employers know how much of a troublemaker you are if you list your former workplace as a reference.

Dish your dirt only if you get fired, and don't plan on ever working in the immediate area again.

[Shyla]

If you ever have a real reason to call the FDA or OSHA or whatever, don't tell anyone first. Gather your evidence and just do it.