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Five Tips to Honor MLK

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21795142623_61033c702e_bTick tock…tick tock… time has turned into years and years have unfolded improvements that Martin Luther King was greatly responsible for in the mid-1960s.  The Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act for African Americans changed the laws in America so there would be repercussions for discrimination of race or color.  So now we have a kinder and more equal social justice in the United States.  Ummmm…I don’t think so!!! The EEOC reported that there were over 31,000 charges of racial discrimination reported in 2015.  Senator John Lewis (D-GA) spoke out recently and tweeted, “We must never, ever give up the right to protest for what is right, what is good, and what is necessary.”  If we choose to strive for justice and a kinder world, I have five tips that honor the “great work” of Martin Luther King.

First, be a “light” and don’t meet evil or darkness on its level.  Fighting with people who are bullies or are acting badly will only bring your own spirit and your energy down.  “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that” said Martin Luther King.  He strived for peace in non-violent ways. Rosa Parks was arrested in 1955 for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white person.   Martin Luther King and his followers began to boycott the Montgomery bus public transit system in Alabama.  It was a huge success because most of the bus riders were African American and the boycott created an enormous financial deficit for the company.  Consider how you can make a non-violent action to stand up to injustice. For example, I speak, write, mentor, and I am a 27-year HR expert on workplace bullying and discrimination.  I do this in a compelling manner, but the tone of my actions is non-violent.

Second, learn as much as you can about discrimination so you can become more empowered and educated. Unfortunately, workplace bullying is not illegal, but discrimination is illegal.  With the exception that “retaliation” for reporting discrimination is illegal if a person has initiated discrimination charges to an agency like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. While the Klu Klux Klan (KKK) has lost power over the years, today we have organized groups who have the ability to enforce civility in the workplace, but not enough is being done to fix hostile work environments. Why not foster your skills and learn more about your rights to a safe and non-hostile work environment in my blog articles on my website.

Third, if you are enduring harmful behavior from others or you need help to speak your “truth,” why not find a mentor, spiritual leader or a life coach to support you.  I wrote an article, “Five Tips Before You Hire a Life Coach” to share guidance in finding ethical and competent Life Coaches.

Fourth, consider seeking legal counsel if you have questions about discrimination because of your race, color, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy, national origin, you are over 40 years old, gender identity, disabilities, genetic information or religion.  For about $20.00 a month, you can seek a lawyer’s advice at Legal Shield.  That is less than the cost of going out to dinner for most people.    An HR professional with expertise in workplace bullying and discrimination may become an essential expert to help you.  When an employee understands their “rights,” they can pursue justice or a fair outcome.   An experienced HR consultant could possibly save you a lot of money by avoiding costly legal fees.  Don’t get me wrong—employment attorneys can be powerful allies, but they will most likely charge more in fees.  I am suggesting that you do seek an attorney if you feel compelled to do so, but why not let an HR consultant support you at a lower cost?   Then you can reach out to an employee attorney later on if needed.

Fifth, be an advocate for social justice and fair treatment of others.  For example, a friend of mine recently saw a Caucasian man castigating an African American woman after she walked out of a grocery store.  He yelled derogatory comments at this lady accusing her of being lazy and that she should not be a drain on society.  Perhaps this woman needed to be on food stamps to support her family.  My friend saw the need to intervene and acted like she knew this woman.  This discouraged the angry man who walked away to his vehicle.  Thanks to my friend, this woman was able to get to her car with her children, with only tears running down her face.  There is no telling what could have happened if there had been no intervention to help this lady get to her car with the assurance that someone cared about her.

There are many ways to honor the late Martin Luther King.  We can all be “extensions” of his advocacy to end discrimination and make this a better world.  Think of ways that you can help positively eliminate injustice and take action.  Follow me on Facebook where I share tips to stand up to workplace bullying and discrimination to executive teams, global leaders, political teams, government leaders, attorneys, mental health professionals, and employees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are You Being Bullied at Work? Should you go to HR for Help?

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HR

Are you a bullied employee in the workplace—should you go to Human Resources (HR) for help? Yes. The HR department may be part of your management when it comes to your work hierarchy. If you have an HR department where you work, it may be an internal work obligation to seek an HR expert’s assistance in dealing with discrimination or bullying. BUT—are they there to support you in your time of need?  I am going to share some information to enlighten you. Here are five insights on seeking HR’s assistance with your matter:

First, if your HR department is part of the management of where you work, you must understand that the HR representative may be required to share any information you share with them, to the director or top manager in your company. Your leadership will likely want to know if there is dissension in their work environment. If your agency is in the civilian sector, the cost, time, and energy spent on Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) matters or other agencies could destroy or cost the company much embarrassment. Settlement fees or court costs will likely come out of the company owner’s pocket. If it’s a government agency, there are still issues of money, embarrassment, and time spent on litigation, but settlement comes out of the tax payer’s pocket.

Second, an HR expert in your workplace may purposely try to down-play your accusations of discrimination or bullying because they know how serious the matter can become if it becomes an EEO claim or more. HR may turn-it-around on you and state comments that make you fear that you may lose your job over your concerns. However, be sure you still work with your HR department to show that you addressed your matter with them. Turn around and send a clarification email to HR and share what you understood took place at the meeting.

Always print that email out and hand-carry it to a safe place for keeping. Never keep it at work. Third, instead of relying on HR to be your subject matter expert (SME), why not learn everything you can about your rights at your workplace. You can research policies and laws that would apply in your case. The internet is a great tool to access work policies, statutes, and more.  If this is not for you—consider hiring a professional expert to help you with your matter. If lack of money is an issue, you may qualify for pro bono assistance from an attorney. Here is an excellent site to check out: Pro Bono Legal

Fourth, if you file charges against your company or agency, you may face retaliation that can come in many forms. If your HR expert is aware that you are being harassed or retaliated against because you reported someone in your workforce, they may be told to help support management by keeping you in the dark about your rights as an employee.  They may later be involved in attempts to fire you, discredit you, or slander you. Bullying is not illegal; however, harassment and retaliation are unlawful according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). You can learn more here: EEOC

Fifth, I want to wrap this up that there are many good HR employees out there and many who care about your circumstances. You may never know if they genuinely want to help you if they don’t give you the support you need and deserve. Sometimes, HR personnel are told they must support their management. You can still move forward to another person for help or reach out to the EEOC for more help at EEOC. You can always take other actions, and you can use the email documentation that you reached out to your HR personnel for assistance. It can come in handy when seeking legal support, unemployment compensation, and in the case of pursuing litigation on your matter. You have the right to be treated with respect in your workplace and to know your rights as an employee. Bullied employees have the power to help themselves, along with bystanders who witness bad-acting behavior in the work culture.

 

Workplace Bullying Scare Tactics–Three Tips to Empower You

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I talked to a former government employee recently who thought she had “stacked evidence” of disciplinary violations against her from her managers. After talking to this employee, it turns out that her management had set up strategies to scare her as a “whistleblower”. Often times, bully managers will make up “false charges” on an employee to scare them, run them away from their job or discredit them.  BullyWhen you are a conscientious “whistleblower”, you can almost expect retaliation because it exposes the wrong-doer.

Most employees are not HR employees and they don’t know the guidelines, laws, and protocols that support a healthy workplace environment or their rights as an employee.  I was smiling on my end of the phone–because everything was handled in a very unprofessional manner from her managers and from an HR perspective–this employee had nothing to worry about in regards to disciplinary action. In fact–she now had my HR advice to support defamation of character on her part and mental/physical harm that has been done to her.  It’s nice to “arm” employees and teach them their “rights” so they can stand up to workplace bullying. This employee will be working with an attorney and was feeling more empowered after our session.

So, how do you know how to transmute “false charges”’ against you if you have been bullied in the workplace or you are receiving retaliation because you are a “whistleblower”?  Here are three tips:

First, if you know how to research your work’s policies, guidelines, manuals, handbooks etc., start studying them to learn more about your rights.  For example, if you work in the Veteran Affairs (VA), you could research the VA’s handbooks and directives by going to http://www.va.gov/vapubs/  or you could research it on the web by looking for information that governs your workplace.

If you work for the Veteran Affairs, you can research disciplinary action for employees.  You may find information such as the VA disciplinary table, it falls under VA Handbook 5021/15 and is called “Employee/Management Relations”.  Why could this table be important to you?  Because it tells you all the disciplinary range of penalties for stated offenses.  This is important, because if you have been charged with something that is not on this table, you have knowledge of possibly being falsely charged with an offense.

If you have been falsely charged with an offense that is on this table, you can cite this table and the nature of offense when you work with an attorney, HR expert or another professional.  You may be able to use this as proof of bullying or retaliation, especially if you have filed charges against your workplace with the Office of Special Counsel (www.osc.gov) or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (www.EEOC.gov).

Second, if you don’t have the time or the energy to do your own research on regulations etc., consider hiring a human resources (HR) professional if you are getting nowhere with your own HR department or there is no HR department where you work.  The money you may save by hiring an HR expert could offset the emotional and financial damage of your workplace bullying situation.  You can also hire an attorney and I would recommend it if you feel the need to hire a legal expert.  Often times, the HR expert will cost less money than an attorney.  In addition, they are able to provide an HR technical review of your workplace bullying situation.  The HR expert is able to review and analyze the facts and documentation you have in regards to your situation.  When I hired my attorney to handle my disability discrimination and retaliation cases, I was able to provide him with great documentation, that ultimately allowed me to settle with the VA and refuse to sign a “gag order” to keep quiet about my story and to help others who deal with workplace bullying.

Third, when you deal with cowardly bullies, they may be desperate to defame you, fire you, or ruin your credibility. It does not matter how strong you think you are—everyone has a breaking point and bullies will do their best to find the weak link in your defenses.  It can take a serious toll on your health.  It’s important to find avenues of relaxation that resonate with you.  You need to focus on everything that is good in your life.  When your mind wanders on any negativity, be sure to bring it back to “neutral” or a more positive thought. Our thoughts form our belief system.  You are worthy of claiming your “personal power” and having a healthy work environment.

In 2016, I will be traveling across the U.S. and speaking about workplace bullying and empowerment in the workplace.  If your organization would like to hire me for speaking, be sure to check out:  http://dawnmariewestmoreland.com/speaking

 

 

 

 

Services

Dawn Westmoreland Consulting, LLC

bullying

For Global Leaders, Executive or Political Teams, Government Administrators, and Managers:

Bullying

For Employers

  • With Dawn’s 27 years of Human Resources expertise, she develops an action plan for prevention or correction of workplace bullying
  • Hire Dawn for your company as a speaker, mentor, or HR consultant on workplace bullying and discrimination
  • Develop a healthy workplace culture and protect your company or agency from unnecessary potential of a lawsuit
  • Guidance to create and maintain civility in your workplace: a cultural assessment, review of employees EEO training, effective documentation training of bullying/discrimination behavior, strategic civil work solutions, reviewing and implementing of effective work performance standards, which can reduce EEO and litigation risks with employees
  • Civility  EEO, and Bystander training for your employees and managers
  • Leadership coaching to achieve a healthy and respectful work environment with on-going review of plans to achieve your corporate values and mission

Mallet of justice!

For Attorneys:

Buddha

For Spiritual/Religious Leaders and Mental Health Professionals:

  • Subject matter expert (SME) support and strategies to aid your discriminated/bullied clients
  • Continuing Learning Education (CLE) support and education
  • 27 years of experience to assist you as an expert witness on workplace harassment/bullying as a speaker, author, professional coach and HR consultant
  • Skilled subject matter expert guidance and strategies to support your discriminated/bullied clients
  • Speaking engagements on workplace bullying/discrimination and empowerment
  • Training and consulting so that you can support your clients and parishioners

Senior business woman lecturing at Conference.

Speaking Engagements:

Dawn in Red Jacket

Consultation / Coaching / Speaking Pricing

Currently, Dawn speaks on these five keynote topics:

Some Gifts Come in Ugly Wrapping Paper

Break free from your dis-empowerment! This keynote workshop will show you how to unwrap your ‘gifts’, and find your voice, strength, and personal power.

 How to Stand Up to Workplace Bullying and Discrimination

How can you protect yourself from workplace bullying? Dawn’s 27 years of HR experience will shed light on the documentation, resources, and empowerment strategies you need!

Where is Your “Shout”?

Don’t work in a job you hate – review your skills, sharpen your talents, and find the perfect position for you! After this keynote speech, you won’t want to sit silently anymore.

Your Dream Needs a Voice

Do you feel like people walk all over you? In this keynote address, learn how to set healthy boundaries, pursue your dreams, and gain the tools you need to empower your life.

Lessons I Learned from Landing in the Mental Health Ward

No one wants to exhibit “victim” behavior, but what do you do when you feel hopeless, lost, or harmed? Dawn’s experiences shed light on the ways we evaluate the energy we put out into the world, and methods for improving your life with peace using proven strategies.

 


Contact Dawn for a customized price for your needs.

Blog

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About Dawn



Dawn Marie Westmoreland has always found her joy in inspiring, supporting, and empowering those who need it most. That joy has been reflected in her career and continues to be her driving force to this day. Dawn has also experienced workplace bullying and discrimination first-hand.  In 2012, Dawn reported her former government agency to the Office of Special Counsel and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for prohibited personnel practices and retaliation. As a result, her managers and co-workers turned on her, and she was subjected to two years of horrific workplace bullying and discrimination.

These years wreaked havoc on Dawn’s mental and physical health, but she persevered. Holding her workplace bullies accountable, Dawn settled with her employer outside of court. Because of her knowledge of HR and leadership skills, she has no gag order to prevent her from sharing her story to empower others who look to her for help. This experience, as well as overcoming her personal history of abuse, has strengthened Dawn’s personal mission to support attorneys, political leaders, employers, mental health professionals, spiritual/religious leaders, and employees with solutions to bullying and discrimination.

Incivility is on the rise, I have written a comprehensive workbook, “Stand Up to Workplace Bullying and Discrimination.” While it’s written to support employees in the workplace, employers also will benefit from my workbook. Click here to purchase: Workbook

You can also learn more about Dawn here: Dawn’s Story


I interviewed Erin Brockovich after meeting her in person in 2017.  She provides sound guidance on advocacy and how to handle tough situations.  Check it out: Interview with Erin Brockovich



Brandon  (far right) shares his testimonial on Dawn Westmoreland: Dawn is a caring compassionate individual with tremendous firsthand knowledge of bullying and whistleblower retaliation within the Federal Workforce. After I came forward to Office of Special Counsel in December 2014 as a VA Whistleblower Dawn and I spoke or emailed quite regularly and her wisdom helped me over the next 18 months to see my case through and win so I could get back to helping Veterans. I will always be grateful to Dawn for her help and consider her a friend. ~ Brandon Coleman, Whistleblower, Addiction Therapist, Anthem CBOC, VA Health Care System


Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) asked Dawn to share her “Veteran Affairs Whistleblowing” story with over 30 Senators and to ask for their support in protecting Veteran Affairs Whistleblowers in Apr 2015.


In April 2015, the Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) sent Dawn to Washington, D.C. to educate Senators on the need to protect Veteran Affairs Whistleblowers. Since then, President Trump signed an executive order to create the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection, a new office within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).


Dawn and 26 other co-authors came together and became Amazon Best-selling authors for writing the “Strength of My Soul” anthology book about overcoming hardships in life.


Dawn is being interviewed by SharRon Jamison about her workplace bullying/discrimination story and how she is serving others today with her experience and skills.


Dawn is with her fun-loving peer coaches as her eight- month coaching course wraps up in Miami, FL in 2014.


Dawn retiring after serving over 20 years in the United States Air Force. While serving in the Air Force, Dawn earned a Business/Managment degree and went on to earn three other degrees, to include a masters in Management/Human Resources. Dawn worked in the Pentagon, served in President H.W. Bush’s inauguration, and worked mainly in Air Force special assignments due to her professionalism and leadership skills.


Professional Qualifications

With a Master’s degree in Management/Human Resources and thirty years of Human Resources experience, Dawn’s career has followed her passion for empowering others. Her qualifications include:

  • Subject Matter Expert (SME) and Expert Witness on workplace bullying/discrimination
  • HR Consultant on Workplace Bullying, Discrimination, Policies & Procedures, and more
  • Former board member/expert for Fifty Shades of Purple (anti-bullying initiatives/resources)
  • Workplace Bullying/Discrimination Training and Development
  • Certified Life Coach
  • Mediation and Advocacy
  • Staff Recruitment and Retention
  • Experience with Family Medical Leave Act, American Disability Act, Equal Employment Opportunity and Worker’s Compensation
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • And more!

Dawn is honorably retired from the United States Air Force, after twenty years of service. Since then, she has authored two books, appeared on more than fifty radio shows, and written seven magazine articles. She has been lauded by both the Concerned Veterans for America Organization and the Christian Science Monitor for her work.


Standing up to unfairness in the workplace takes a great deal of courage, strength, and persistence. Dawn has been through her own horrific experience and held her bullies accountable. Why not hire Dawn to be your subject matter expert on workplace bullying and discrimination?


Pages

Five Tips to Honor MLK

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21795142623_61033c702e_bTick tock…tick tock… time has turned into years and years have unfolded improvements that Martin Luther King was greatly responsible for in the mid-1960s.  The Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act for African Americans changed the laws in America so there would be repercussions for discrimination of race or color.  So now we have a kinder and more equal social justice in the United States.  Ummmm…I don’t think so!!! The EEOC reported that there were over 31,000 charges of racial discrimination reported in 2015.  Senator John Lewis (D-GA) spoke out recently and tweeted, “We must never, ever give up the right to protest for what is right, what is good, and what is necessary.”  If we choose to strive for justice and a kinder world, I have five tips that honor the “great work” of Martin Luther King.

First, be a “light” and don’t meet evil or darkness on its level.  Fighting with people who are bullies or are acting badly will only bring your own spirit and your energy down.  “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that” said Martin Luther King.  He strived for peace in non-violent ways. Rosa Parks was arrested in 1955 for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white person.   Martin Luther King and his followers began to boycott the Montgomery bus public transit system in Alabama.  It was a huge success because most of the bus riders were African American and the boycott created an enormous financial deficit for the company.  Consider how you can make a non-violent action to stand up to injustice. For example, I speak, write, mentor, and I am a 27-year HR expert on workplace bullying and discrimination.  I do this in a compelling manner, but the tone of my actions is non-violent.

Second, learn as much as you can about discrimination so you can become more empowered and educated. Unfortunately, workplace bullying is not illegal, but discrimination is illegal.  With the exception that “retaliation” for reporting discrimination is illegal if a person has initiated discrimination charges to an agency like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. While the Klu Klux Klan (KKK) has lost power over the years, today we have organized groups who have the ability to enforce civility in the workplace, but not enough is being done to fix hostile work environments. Why not foster your skills and learn more about your rights to a safe and non-hostile work environment in my blog articles on my website.

Third, if you are enduring harmful behavior from others or you need help to speak your “truth,” why not find a mentor, spiritual leader or a life coach to support you.  I wrote an article, “Five Tips Before You Hire a Life Coach” to share guidance in finding ethical and competent Life Coaches.

Fourth, consider seeking legal counsel if you have questions about discrimination because of your race, color, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy, national origin, you are over 40 years old, gender identity, disabilities, genetic information or religion.  For about $20.00 a month, you can seek a lawyer’s advice at Legal Shield.  That is less than the cost of going out to dinner for most people.    An HR professional with expertise in workplace bullying and discrimination may become an essential expert to help you.  When an employee understands their “rights,” they can pursue justice or a fair outcome.   An experienced HR consultant could possibly save you a lot of money by avoiding costly legal fees.  Don’t get me wrong—employment attorneys can be powerful allies, but they will most likely charge more in fees.  I am suggesting that you do seek an attorney if you feel compelled to do so, but why not let an HR consultant support you at a lower cost?   Then you can reach out to an employee attorney later on if needed.

Fifth, be an advocate for social justice and fair treatment of others.  For example, a friend of mine recently saw a Caucasian man castigating an African American woman after she walked out of a grocery store.  He yelled derogatory comments at this lady accusing her of being lazy and that she should not be a drain on society.  Perhaps this woman needed to be on food stamps to support her family.  My friend saw the need to intervene and acted like she knew this woman.  This discouraged the angry man who walked away to his vehicle.  Thanks to my friend, this woman was able to get to her car with her children, with only tears running down her face.  There is no telling what could have happened if there had been no intervention to help this lady get to her car with the assurance that someone cared about her.

There are many ways to honor the late Martin Luther King.  We can all be “extensions” of his advocacy to end discrimination and make this a better world.  Think of ways that you can help positively eliminate injustice and take action.  Follow me on Facebook where I share tips to stand up to workplace bullying and discrimination to executive teams, global leaders, political teams, government leaders, attorneys, mental health professionals, and employees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are You Being Bullied at Work? Should you go to HR for Help?

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HR

Are you a bullied employee in the workplace—should you go to Human Resources (HR) for help? Yes. The HR department may be part of your management when it comes to your work hierarchy. If you have an HR department where you work, it may be an internal work obligation to seek an HR expert’s assistance in dealing with discrimination or bullying. BUT—are they there to support you in your time of need?  I am going to share some information to enlighten you. Here are five insights on seeking HR’s assistance with your matter:

First, if your HR department is part of the management of where you work, you must understand that the HR representative may be required to share any information you share with them, to the director or top manager in your company. Your leadership will likely want to know if there is dissension in their work environment. If your agency is in the civilian sector, the cost, time, and energy spent on Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) matters or other agencies could destroy or cost the company much embarrassment. Settlement fees or court costs will likely come out of the company owner’s pocket. If it’s a government agency, there are still issues of money, embarrassment, and time spent on litigation, but settlement comes out of the tax payer’s pocket.

Second, an HR expert in your workplace may purposely try to down-play your accusations of discrimination or bullying because they know how serious the matter can become if it becomes an EEO claim or more. HR may turn-it-around on you and state comments that make you fear that you may lose your job over your concerns. However, be sure you still work with your HR department to show that you addressed your matter with them. Turn around and send a clarification email to HR and share what you understood took place at the meeting.

Always print that email out and hand-carry it to a safe place for keeping. Never keep it at work. Third, instead of relying on HR to be your subject matter expert (SME), why not learn everything you can about your rights at your workplace. You can research policies and laws that would apply in your case. The internet is a great tool to access work policies, statutes, and more.  If this is not for you—consider hiring a professional expert to help you with your matter. If lack of money is an issue, you may qualify for pro bono assistance from an attorney. Here is an excellent site to check out: Pro Bono Legal

Fourth, if you file charges against your company or agency, you may face retaliation that can come in many forms. If your HR expert is aware that you are being harassed or retaliated against because you reported someone in your workforce, they may be told to help support management by keeping you in the dark about your rights as an employee.  They may later be involved in attempts to fire you, discredit you, or slander you. Bullying is not illegal; however, harassment and retaliation are unlawful according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). You can learn more here: EEOC

Fifth, I want to wrap this up that there are many good HR employees out there and many who care about your circumstances. You may never know if they genuinely want to help you if they don’t give you the support you need and deserve. Sometimes, HR personnel are told they must support their management. You can still move forward to another person for help or reach out to the EEOC for more help at EEOC. You can always take other actions, and you can use the email documentation that you reached out to your HR personnel for assistance. It can come in handy when seeking legal support, unemployment compensation, and in the case of pursuing litigation on your matter. You have the right to be treated with respect in your workplace and to know your rights as an employee. Bullied employees have the power to help themselves, along with bystanders who witness bad-acting behavior in the work culture.

 

Workplace Bullying Scare Tactics–Three Tips to Empower You

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I talked to a former government employee recently who thought she had “stacked evidence” of disciplinary violations against her from her managers. After talking to this employee, it turns out that her management had set up strategies to scare her as a “whistleblower”. Often times, bully managers will make up “false charges” on an employee to scare them, run them away from their job or discredit them.  BullyWhen you are a conscientious “whistleblower”, you can almost expect retaliation because it exposes the wrong-doer.

Most employees are not HR employees and they don’t know the guidelines, laws, and protocols that support a healthy workplace environment or their rights as an employee.  I was smiling on my end of the phone–because everything was handled in a very unprofessional manner from her managers and from an HR perspective–this employee had nothing to worry about in regards to disciplinary action. In fact–she now had my HR advice to support defamation of character on her part and mental/physical harm that has been done to her.  It’s nice to “arm” employees and teach them their “rights” so they can stand up to workplace bullying. This employee will be working with an attorney and was feeling more empowered after our session.

So, how do you know how to transmute “false charges”’ against you if you have been bullied in the workplace or you are receiving retaliation because you are a “whistleblower”?  Here are three tips:

First, if you know how to research your work’s policies, guidelines, manuals, handbooks etc., start studying them to learn more about your rights.  For example, if you work in the Veteran Affairs (VA), you could research the VA’s handbooks and directives by going to http://www.va.gov/vapubs/  or you could research it on the web by looking for information that governs your workplace.

If you work for the Veteran Affairs, you can research disciplinary action for employees.  You may find information such as the VA disciplinary table, it falls under VA Handbook 5021/15 and is called “Employee/Management Relations”.  Why could this table be important to you?  Because it tells you all the disciplinary range of penalties for stated offenses.  This is important, because if you have been charged with something that is not on this table, you have knowledge of possibly being falsely charged with an offense.

If you have been falsely charged with an offense that is on this table, you can cite this table and the nature of offense when you work with an attorney, HR expert or another professional.  You may be able to use this as proof of bullying or retaliation, especially if you have filed charges against your workplace with the Office of Special Counsel (www.osc.gov) or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (www.EEOC.gov).

Second, if you don’t have the time or the energy to do your own research on regulations etc., consider hiring a human resources (HR) professional if you are getting nowhere with your own HR department or there is no HR department where you work.  The money you may save by hiring an HR expert could offset the emotional and financial damage of your workplace bullying situation.  You can also hire an attorney and I would recommend it if you feel the need to hire a legal expert.  Often times, the HR expert will cost less money than an attorney.  In addition, they are able to provide an HR technical review of your workplace bullying situation.  The HR expert is able to review and analyze the facts and documentation you have in regards to your situation.  When I hired my attorney to handle my disability discrimination and retaliation cases, I was able to provide him with great documentation, that ultimately allowed me to settle with the VA and refuse to sign a “gag order” to keep quiet about my story and to help others who deal with workplace bullying.

Third, when you deal with cowardly bullies, they may be desperate to defame you, fire you, or ruin your credibility. It does not matter how strong you think you are—everyone has a breaking point and bullies will do their best to find the weak link in your defenses.  It can take a serious toll on your health.  It’s important to find avenues of relaxation that resonate with you.  You need to focus on everything that is good in your life.  When your mind wanders on any negativity, be sure to bring it back to “neutral” or a more positive thought. Our thoughts form our belief system.  You are worthy of claiming your “personal power” and having a healthy work environment.

In 2016, I will be traveling across the U.S. and speaking about workplace bullying and empowerment in the workplace.  If your organization would like to hire me for speaking, be sure to check out:  http://dawnmariewestmoreland.com/speaking

 

 

 

 

Services

Dawn Westmoreland Consulting, LLC

bullying

For Global Leaders, Executive or Political Teams, Government Administrators, and Managers:

Bullying

For Employers

  • With Dawn’s 27 years of Human Resources expertise, she develops an action plan for prevention or correction of workplace bullying
  • Hire Dawn for your company as a speaker, mentor, or HR consultant on workplace bullying and discrimination
  • Develop a healthy workplace culture and protect your company or agency from unnecessary potential of a lawsuit
  • Guidance to create and maintain civility in your workplace: a cultural assessment, review of employees EEO training, effective documentation training of bullying/discrimination behavior, strategic civil work solutions, reviewing and implementing of effective work performance standards, which can reduce EEO and litigation risks with employees
  • Civility  EEO, and Bystander training for your employees and managers
  • Leadership coaching to achieve a healthy and respectful work environment with on-going review of plans to achieve your corporate values and mission

Mallet of justice!

For Attorneys:

Buddha

For Spiritual/Religious Leaders and Mental Health Professionals:

  • Subject matter expert (SME) support and strategies to aid your discriminated/bullied clients
  • Continuing Learning Education (CLE) support and education
  • 27 years of experience to assist you as an expert witness on workplace harassment/bullying as a speaker, author, professional coach and HR consultant
  • Skilled subject matter expert guidance and strategies to support your discriminated/bullied clients
  • Speaking engagements on workplace bullying/discrimination and empowerment
  • Training and consulting so that you can support your clients and parishioners

Senior business woman lecturing at Conference.

Speaking Engagements:

Dawn in Red Jacket

Consultation / Coaching / Speaking Pricing

Currently, Dawn speaks on these five keynote topics:

Some Gifts Come in Ugly Wrapping Paper

Break free from your dis-empowerment! This keynote workshop will show you how to unwrap your ‘gifts’, and find your voice, strength, and personal power.

 How to Stand Up to Workplace Bullying and Discrimination

How can you protect yourself from workplace bullying? Dawn’s 27 years of HR experience will shed light on the documentation, resources, and empowerment strategies you need!

Where is Your “Shout”?

Don’t work in a job you hate – review your skills, sharpen your talents, and find the perfect position for you! After this keynote speech, you won’t want to sit silently anymore.

Your Dream Needs a Voice

Do you feel like people walk all over you? In this keynote address, learn how to set healthy boundaries, pursue your dreams, and gain the tools you need to empower your life.

Lessons I Learned from Landing in the Mental Health Ward

No one wants to exhibit “victim” behavior, but what do you do when you feel hopeless, lost, or harmed? Dawn’s experiences shed light on the ways we evaluate the energy we put out into the world, and methods for improving your life with peace using proven strategies.

 


Contact Dawn for a customized price for your needs.

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About Dawn



Dawn Marie Westmoreland has always found her joy in inspiring, supporting, and empowering those who need it most. That joy has been reflected in her career and continues to be her driving force to this day. Dawn has also experienced workplace bullying and discrimination first-hand.  In 2012, Dawn reported her former government agency to the Office of Special Counsel and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for prohibited personnel practices and retaliation. As a result, her managers and co-workers turned on her, and she was subjected to two years of horrific workplace bullying and discrimination.

These years wreaked havoc on Dawn’s mental and physical health, but she persevered. Holding her workplace bullies accountable, Dawn settled with her employer outside of court. Because of her knowledge of HR and leadership skills, she has no gag order to prevent her from sharing her story to empower others who look to her for help. This experience, as well as overcoming her personal history of abuse, has strengthened Dawn’s personal mission to support attorneys, political leaders, employers, mental health professionals, spiritual/religious leaders, and employees with solutions to bullying and discrimination.

Incivility is on the rise, I have written a comprehensive workbook, “Stand Up to Workplace Bullying and Discrimination.” While it’s written to support employees in the workplace, employers also will benefit from my workbook. Click here to purchase: Workbook

You can also learn more about Dawn here: Dawn’s Story


I interviewed Erin Brockovich after meeting her in person in 2017.  She provides sound guidance on advocacy and how to handle tough situations.  Check it out: Interview with Erin Brockovich



Brandon  (far right) shares his testimonial on Dawn Westmoreland: Dawn is a caring compassionate individual with tremendous firsthand knowledge of bullying and whistleblower retaliation within the Federal Workforce. After I came forward to Office of Special Counsel in December 2014 as a VA Whistleblower Dawn and I spoke or emailed quite regularly and her wisdom helped me over the next 18 months to see my case through and win so I could get back to helping Veterans. I will always be grateful to Dawn for her help and consider her a friend. ~ Brandon Coleman, Whistleblower, Addiction Therapist, Anthem CBOC, VA Health Care System


Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) asked Dawn to share her “Veteran Affairs Whistleblowing” story with over 30 Senators and to ask for their support in protecting Veteran Affairs Whistleblowers in Apr 2015.


In April 2015, the Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) sent Dawn to Washington, D.C. to educate Senators on the need to protect Veteran Affairs Whistleblowers. Since then, President Trump signed an executive order to create the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection, a new office within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).


Dawn and 26 other co-authors came together and became Amazon Best-selling authors for writing the “Strength of My Soul” anthology book about overcoming hardships in life.


Dawn is being interviewed by SharRon Jamison about her workplace bullying/discrimination story and how she is serving others today with her experience and skills.


Dawn is with her fun-loving peer coaches as her eight- month coaching course wraps up in Miami, FL in 2014.


Dawn retiring after serving over 20 years in the United States Air Force. While serving in the Air Force, Dawn earned a Business/Managment degree and went on to earn three other degrees, to include a masters in Management/Human Resources. Dawn worked in the Pentagon, served in President H.W. Bush’s inauguration, and worked mainly in Air Force special assignments due to her professionalism and leadership skills.


Professional Qualifications

With a Master’s degree in Management/Human Resources and thirty years of Human Resources experience, Dawn’s career has followed her passion for empowering others. Her qualifications include:

  • Subject Matter Expert (SME) and Expert Witness on workplace bullying/discrimination
  • HR Consultant on Workplace Bullying, Discrimination, Policies & Procedures, and more
  • Former board member/expert for Fifty Shades of Purple (anti-bullying initiatives/resources)
  • Workplace Bullying/Discrimination Training and Development
  • Certified Life Coach
  • Mediation and Advocacy
  • Staff Recruitment and Retention
  • Experience with Family Medical Leave Act, American Disability Act, Equal Employment Opportunity and Worker’s Compensation
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • And more!

Dawn is honorably retired from the United States Air Force, after twenty years of service. Since then, she has authored two books, appeared on more than fifty radio shows, and written seven magazine articles. She has been lauded by both the Concerned Veterans for America Organization and the Christian Science Monitor for her work.


Standing up to unfairness in the workplace takes a great deal of courage, strength, and persistence. Dawn has been through her own horrific experience and held her bullies accountable. Why not hire Dawn to be your subject matter expert on workplace bullying and discrimination?