could I get fired for this



Over the last few months one of my clients has had a problem with one of her other workers(not showing up to shift, leaving shift early, showing client confedencal documents) not feeding client properly, giving meds, cleaning) and I have brought this up to the company once and was told I was not alound to say anything negative about the other worker, even though it was affecting the mental status of the client.

Today during work I found out that the client had given the other worker money to help her out when the worker had expressed that she didn't have enough money for something. Then my client told me to lie about this and not tell the company or her family.

I remember in my contract and training that we are not supposed to take money from our clients, and I know that I need to report this. I do not know which local to go to, or who to tell this to.

I know I should tell the company, but I am afraid to loose my job. I am going to call the company tomorrow and explain the situation.

the other worker had told the client that if I were to make another complaint against her, I would loose my job.

Is this legal?

I don't know and I am worried. I want to do the right thing.

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10 replies since 29th July 2009 • Last reply 29th July 2009

Reply #1:

in this country there is a lot of this sort of thing going on in this field of work. I think telling the company is the right thing to do but stress the part of the contract that said no money is to be taken off clients. If you did loose your job, which I don't think you will, but if you told her family they would support you and stick up for you. They can't possibly fire you for it, it cant be legal, but I don't know for sure and wouldn't want you to get fired obviously. Does the company have a website? Look up their values or whatever you can find like that and quote it at them if they are awkward.

Poor you and poor woman!

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Reply #2:

well If I do get fired, I have friends in the media, I would contact the newspapers and the local tv station(its actually a national station) also I know the editor of a local magazine. I have contacted the union as well, I would also contact city council and the minister of health and safety of newfoundland.

I would not make it easy on them, specially if they keep that other worker on staff

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Reply #3:

This is so awkward but technically your not making a complaint, your raising a concern about a client. Could you ask a hypothetical question to your boss and gauge their response from that? Not ideal but I'm tending to agree with qfp and think that it can't be legal to fire someone for telling your boss what your client has told you. I don't know the laws though in Canada so wouldn't want to get that wrong. Are you with a union or do you have anything like Citizens Advice, which is a free service we have in the UK.

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Reply #4:

I am talking to the union

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Reply #5:

you should have a union or soewhere where you can submit a concern anonymously

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Reply #6:

Wow -what did happen now? My mom had several problems like this when she was working as a teacher. They tried to frighten her and as she held to her moral rules and kept acting the way she thought it was right, they did not fire her, but she got "rationalized" away and was pushed from one school in the same district to the next... There was so much bullying, that she finally quit...
I don't think they can officially fire you for this, but they can bully you out and make you quit yourself...
I think you have to calculate that risk, because you best know the people you're working with...

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Reply #7:

Yeah if they fire you, you can sue them for unfair dismissal - it's one thing complaining about another worker but this other worker is doing something illegal (this could easily be seen as bribery) and you're just reporting it. Also, there must be a reason why the client told you about it, maybe she wants someone to say something because SHE'S been bullied into it. Definitely talk to some people and find out where you stand though.

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Reply #8:

thanks guys

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Reply #9:

You're being very ethical about this situation and if you feel it is the right thing to do then you should report the situation. I studied a bit of this at University and there is a process you have to go through, I think it's something like this:

1) Talk to your Manager (person above you): if there's no luck then...
2) Talk to the person above your superior: keep discussing this matter with more superior people, making your way up the hierarchy if no-one is interested, if there's no luck then...
3) Talk to your union

Don't quote me on this, I only did a little bit, but it would help if you did a bit of googling and reading up abit on "Whistleblowing". Queenfairypants is right, we have had many cases such as this in the UK, most recently of which was about ethical misconduct of treatment of elderly patients in an NHS care home, I believe.

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Reply #10:

there is just to much of this going on

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