On Further Investigation

I joined the U.S. Labor Dept.'s MBA Fellows Program, a rotational program for recent MBA graduates, after finishing my MBA in 2002 (see BW Online, 7/11/05, "How the Labor Dept. Hires MBAs"). Since I finished the program in January, 2005, I have worked full-time as an investigator in the whistleblower program at the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), which is the main federal agency overseeing workplace safety, in its Region VIII office in Denver. I oversee activities in the states of Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

OSHA covers whistleblower statutes dealing with the environment, trucking, general employee health & safety, air-carrier safety, corporate fraud, and pipeline safety. My job responsibilities include the screening of incoming whistleblower complaints to determine whether the complaint was filed in a timely fashion and whether OSHA has jurisdiction to investigate the case.

After it's determined that OSHA has jurisdiction, the investigation process begins by obtaining background information about the company, securing various company documents, and interviewing the complainant, witnesses, and management officials. All investigations are completed within 30, 60, or 90 days, depending on the whistleblower statute.

CASE BY CASE.  Once the investigation is done, I evaluate the evidence and write a report detailing the facts of the case. Finally, I make recommendations to the supervisor on appropriate actions to take regarding the merits of the case. Depending on the determination, the case can be settled or forwarded for litigation. Otherwise, the complainant can withdraw it, or OSHA will dismiss it with appeal rights.

Here's a snapshot of a typical day on the job:

8:15 a.m. -- Arrive at work in downtown Denver.

8:30 a.m. -- Review my e-mails, check voice mails, and plan my strategy for the work day by reviewing the status of my case files.

As an investigator, I'm assigned five cases at a time. I have to be knowledgeable on the legislative history of each of the whistleblower statutes, regulations, and agency policies and procedures, as well as case law pertaining to the statutes. For example, Section 11(c) of the OSHA Act allows employees to make safety/health complaints to management or government agencies, including OSHA, without reprisal. A typical example of this might be an employee who believes he or she has been terminated for voicing complaints to management about unsafe conditions at work.

9:15 a.m. -- Talk to my boss about the status of my cases and receive feedback. My supervisor suggests that I gather additional information from witnesses, evaluate new evidence, use a different strategy in the investigation, and ask for additional written documentation from company representatives.

10 a.m. -- Interview a complainant for roughly two hours on a new OSHA whistleblower case that I have been assigned. I ask questions related to his/her protected activities (allegedly known to management) as it pertains to the rules, laws, or the acts under which the complainant filed the complaint.

12:30 p.m. -- Take a lunch break and go for a 30-minute walk downtown to get a break, breathe some fresh air, and pick up some coffee to keep me going for the afternoon.

1:30 p.m. -- Research, read, and evaluate case law relating to various whistleblower regulations. If needed, I incorporate the research findings in the analysis of the case.

4 p.m. -- Continue to write my final report on another case that is due next week by evaluating evidence gathered during the investigative process.

5:30 p.m. -- Check e-mails, respond to complainants and attorneys as needed, and review the deadlines for cases.

5:45 p.m. -- Lock my files, clean up my desk, and call it a day.

Through the various rotations, I have gained a wealth of experience in areas such as accounting and financial analysis, budgeting, and the federal budget process. Also, I'm able to apply many skills learned in business school to my current job. For example, my accounting and finance background assists me in corporate fraud investigations, and basic skills in evaluating a company's financial statements help me to better understand a complainant's allegations against an employer.

PEOPLE SKILLS.  In my current position, I'm in close contact with a wide variety of industries, employers, and people, ranging from maintenance workers to company presidents. Business school taught me to work with diverse groups of people, and my previous experience in international business in Latin America enhanced that ability. Still, if I could return to B-school, I would take more classes on organizational and human behavior.

With a renewed focus on efficiency and performance, government is changing the way it functions today. Business skills learned in an MBA program are applicable for government work and help to make government more efficient and responsive to its customers. The MBA Fellows is open to graduates of accredited MBA programs and admits about 15 applicants annually. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, herself a Harvard Business School alumna, launched the program in 2002.

In my nearly two years in Washington, D.C., working in different areas of the Labor Dept., I have gained excellent experience working with scores of interesting people and evaluating a variety of labor and financial programs. Now, I'm working full-time for OSHA and really enjoying it. I credit the program with helping me land this job. If you want to join the MBA Fellows program, make sure you're flexible and ready for anything.