Last week, NRK wrote about former HSE adviser Elizabeth Aun Purchard.
She believes Bode warned her about critical conditions in the municipality, and says the municipality responded by punishing her.
The two sides met in court and finally agreed to settle Burkert with 500,000 kroner.
But the next day when the parties shook hands and agreed to put the matter behind them, something else happened.
In the municipality of Bode, four employees of the human resources department gathered in a festive group and joined a public Facebook group.
Comments: Burkert’s former colleagues wrote this on the public Facebook group.
Photo: Screenshot
Here they engaged in a discussion about the solution, and wrote derogatory comments about Purchaser.
Burkert himself says it’s sad.
– I have to rise above this, it’s a little ridiculous, you ask me. I think the case is over when I take the councilor by the hand. Here are some people who don’t like anything.
ABSURD: Elizabeth Aun Purchard considers it absurd to write defamatory comments the day after former colleagues left the Whistleblower case.
Photo: Pente Johansson / NRK
Bode Nu first mentioned the case.
The notice has made the case
On Wednesday afternoon, the Bodø municipality confirmed in a press release that they had opened a notice case.
This happens after the Red Party sent an investigation to the municipal director about the debate on social media.
– I immediately asked Ernst & Young, who receives notification cases for the municipality of Bodø, to assess whether this should be considered a notice. “We are convinced today that this is a warning,” said Kejel Haqwick, director of the municipality.
He adds that the case is being implemented in accordance with the municipality’s adopted notification procedures.
Haqwick has been in contact with four employees who have discussed the matter on social media.
– They are very sorry for participating in the current exchange on Facebook. This should not have happened, they are very sorry for what happened. They never wanted to speak on behalf of the HR office and the Boda Municipality in this exchange
Bad promise for future whistleblowers
BI Professor Stig Berge Matthiesen believes the case is not good for future whistleblowers in Bodø municipality.
– If whistleblowers are harassed and provoked on social websites, the rate of whistleblowers will drop drastically. The municipality is at risk of losing an important communication channel, says Mathisen.
Promises Bad: PI Professor Stick Berg Matheson thinks this is bad for the municipality.
Photo: Torbjørn Brovold / BI
Former councilor Rolf Corey Jensen just took Purchard by the hand in the courtroom and said the case should now be placed behind them.
The new councilor, Kejel Hookwick, the municipal director, said the exchange of views with the NRK was done privately before releasing the news to the NRK.
– They participated in the exchange as individuals and did not speak on behalf of the Bode municipality, he says.
Huckwick believes they have a chance, according to regulations in the municipality of Bode.
He did not want to comment further on the matter.
– I asked that this case be handled as soon as possible. It would not be appropriate to comment further on this matter until a decision is received from Ernst & Young. At the same time, I would like to emphasize my earlier statements that what emerged in the current exchange of views does not reflect the Boda Municipality’s view on this case.
Individuals: Municipal Director Kezel Hookwick says the exchange was made as individuals.
Photo: Joseph Benoni Ness Tweet / NRK
However, Professor Stick Berg Mathewson of PI disagreed.
He says that once things are posted on Facebook, it should be treated as a public statement and then one should be careful before interpreting it as a retaliation for a whistleblower case.
Hope the municipality learns
The Red Party sent a letter to the municipal director, but city council representative Cinne Bijerbach did not comment on the matter.
Espen Rocken, on the other hand, sits on the city council for the Conservative Party and chairs the control committee. He believes the HR staff behaved very wisely.
– My immediate reaction was that I was really disappointed, says Rogan.
Unchangeable: Espen Rockan, who sits in the city council for the Conservative Party, thinks the comments in the public forum are unfortunate.
Photo: Kåre Riibe Ramskjell / NRK
He stresses that the city council is unanimously interested in creating a culture in the municipality of Bode.
– I am afraid that such a case creates the impression that the attitudes of the Boda municipality are in line with some of the signals of the private forum.
Criminal: Some voices on the public Facebook group criticized the comments of Purchard’s former colleagues.
Photo: Screenshot Facebook
– Bode shows such bad attitudes when someone works in staff management in the municipality; What does it say?
– I would like to emphasize that I do not think this is an expression of the attitude of the municipality of Bode. But this is very unfortunate, for those who work to overcome some of the most challenging issues in this field, so this is disappointing.
Rogan does not want to label Facebook comments as illegal, but believes the municipality should learn from this case in the way cases are handled in the future.
“Music geek. Coffee lover. Devoted food scholar. Web buff. Passionate internet guru.”
