Dr. Laura,

I was terminated for doing the right thing and I'm proud of it!

I was working in human resources for a not-for-profit organization and my duties and specialization was in benefits administration, plus I was licensed by the Department of Insurance. This past fall, the organization was changing insurance and we did a complete audit of open enrollment to ensure there was no loss of benefits to anyone. During the audit, the application of a critically-ill employee was reviewed and found unsigned. When she stopped by to review her file, it was clear she was frail. I eased her mind that her coverage was intact. I gave her a copy of the documents and told her to keep them safe. In January, we received notice the employee was on life support. I began to prepare the paperwork for a claim so the family could file under the Family and Medical Leave Act.  Our CEO informed me the family would be stopping by, so I gave the paperwork to her to give to the family.

Later, as I was doing some filing, I saw a letter of retro-termination sent to the now deceased employee. I was in shock. I went to the CEO and was told to "mind my own business." Being a mandate reporter, I gathered the documents the employee was legally eligible to have and left the contents in a sealed envelope for the family. 

After the Department of Insurance started an investigation regarding the organization's actions, I was fired. My employer knew who had reported them since I had identified myself during the investigation.  To make a long story short, I won the hearing at the Employment Security Commission and the Department of Insurance ruled in favor of the employee's estate.  This was important as the deceased employee's son has "Asperger's".

Due to the nature of my business, I informed my next employer what happened who applauded me. I was hired, with a bonus!

You don't have to always hear a voice to speak up, your character speaks through actions.

Karrie