Assume you are a nursing director for a nursing home. You've been working at your facility for a few short months when you learn that the company that owns the home has been improperly overbilling Medicare for the care and services provided to your residents. You bring this to the attention of the company's management. They do nothing. You then notify the appropriate authorities (you are now a whistleblower). For this, and a host of other reasons, you quit.
Several months later you are contacted by a headhunter, one you've worked with before. She convinces you to interview for a new position at another company. You agree to the interview and within days you are called in for an interview for a nursing director's job. Your interview happens to be a panel of 10, including the CEO, medical director, and other administrators. This panel will decide up or down whether you get the job.
One other important detail, this facility is just two miles down the road from the one you reported to the authorities before quitting. And nursing, like some other industries, tends to be a very close circle of people who often cross paths repeatedly in different jobs over time.
Your Response
What would you do about divulging information regarding your claim against your previous employer? Choose your answer from the options below. Be sure to explain and justify your choice.
- Do not divulge the claim.
- Wait until you learn the outcome of the interview, and if you don't get the offer, then you don't share the information.
- Wait until you learn the outcome of the panel interview, and if you get the job offer, then tell the person who makes you the offer.
- Tell all members of the panel during your interview.
- Create and explain another course of action.