Amy Block Joy

Blowback Amy Block Joy

Blowback is a non-fiction, first-person memoir about the unintended consequences of failed workplace ethics. Blowback, a prequel to Whistleblower (Bay Tree Publishing, 2010) is based on real events that took place before the whistle was blown. Faculty member, scientist, and educator Amy Block Joy loved her job at the University of California, Davis. For two decades, she administered a highly successful, multi-million-dollar poverty program that provided training to thousands of Californians who needed it most. Working diligently to enforce the federal, state, and university rules, she was frequently criticized by her colleagues and supervisors for not getting them more money. After the federal government requested an extensive audit of the program, her policy of keeping a tight rein on millions of federal dollars was confirmed by the audit results. Not deterred by threats or intimidation by her esteemed colleagues and supervisors, Block Joy focused on making a difference in the lives of the program's needy families. So why did her highly educated colleagues and supervisors become involved in a $2.3 million scandal at her university? Were they duped? Pressured? Was it the money, power, prestige? The answer will surprise even the most cynical. Blowback tells a cautionary story about the importance of workplace ethics. By observing the mundane routines at her publically funded university, Blowback presents a stunning account of how complex financial structures, loosely based accountability, rule-bending for leadership, the pressure to conform, and money woes can lead to an atmosphere of mistrust. Reflecting on workplace discontent, along with her own hard-fought personal experiences, Block Joy offers a masterful strategy to improve workplace ethics and reduce fraud. Blowback happened at Block Joy's institution. This book can stop it from happening at yours.