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In British Workplaces Climate Whistleblowers Fear Reprisals; How About in the US?

By staff - Labor Network for Sustainability, October 31, 2023

A survey commissioned by the British charity Protect has found that concerns about being fired or victimized at work are preventing people from calling out their employers on the climate crisis and the wider environment.

Fear of reprisals and uncertainty about how to provide proof were the main barriers to reporting on poor and misleading behavior about the environment. Employees were also skeptical that their concerns would be properly dealt with. Three quarters of those who contacted the Protect hotline about an environmental issue at work said they faced negative treatment as a result. Caitlín Comins, a legal officer at Protect, said

Workers are the eyes and ears of an organization and are best placed to spot when things go wrong. With the right information, they can raise concerns and damage can be prevented, minimizing the impact on the environment. By exposing environmental wrongdoing, they can also help ensure organizations are accountable for their climate impact and there is appropriate intervention where required.

LNS would like to be made aware of any similar hotline, study, or toolkit in the US.

Source:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/oct/14/fear-of-reprisals-prevent-people-calling-out-employers-on-climate-says-charity

Environmental Whistleblowing Toolkit:
https://protect-advice.org.uk/environmental-whistleblowing-toolkit/ 

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