March 5, 2021 – Keep shining the spotlight
The misconduct allegations making headlines with the Colorado Supreme Court highlight a problem that should stay in the crosshairs. The lack of transparency in government agencies, especially at the state and local levels, is widespread and is often overlooked. There are several reasons for this.
When employees are afraid to speak out and lack appeal rights to challenge workplace decisions, it decreases transparency. There need to be consequence for retaliation against employees for what should be “protected activity.”
Overly restrictive chain of command policies designed to limit open discussion and dissent magnify the problem. Ambiguous personnel policies, poorly defined lines of authority and double standards need to be confronted.
The American workplace needs to better reflect a culture of checks and balances.
Timothy D. Allport, Arvada