Did You Hear: Social Security Administration Punishes a Whistleblower

Ron Klym — senior legal assistant for the Milwaukee Office of Adjudication and Review — was placed on administrative leave last month and “told that he would not be able to return pending review.” The reason? He reported accusations of misconduct and incompetence among the Milwaukee, Wisconsin ODAR Office.

The issue stems from a long history of unhandled disability benefits by ODAR.

Klym is quoted as saying “No one can guarantee the [disability] benefit. I know a case where someone has filed for a benefit 26 times… If your opportunity has been waylaid, to paraphrase [George] Orwell, we’re all equal, but some are more equal. That’s a process issue.”

Wisconsin Watchdog wrote a separate piece after the incident about ODAR’s history of punishing whistleblowers. You can read that here.

Whistleblowing has long been a controversial subject for company and employee relationships, some even suggesting that companies need a “whistleblowing policy” to protect themselves from harsh legal consequences of whistleblowers’ confessions.

Of course, detractors worry that whistleblowing policies will silence victims of abuse and misconduct within a corporation.

Those who don’t trust corporations continue to recommend taking all steps necessary to protect one’s case legally in whistleblowing cases.