No Free Speech for Whistleblowers

"Critics predicted the impact would be sweeping, from silencing police officers who fear retribution for reporting department corruption, to subduing federal employees who want to reveal problems with government hurricane preparedness or terrorist-related security."

I'm upset over this ruling. It's not just a blow for government workers, but all workers.
Why bother having rules and regulations if supervisors are now free to ignore them?

"Kennedy said that government workers "retain the prospect of constitutional protection for their contributions to the civic discourse." They do not, Kennedy said, have "a right to perform their jobs however they see fit."

So if one doesn't have the right to do his/her job "as they see fit", how are decisions to be made and policy to be shaped? The boss isn't always around and the boss isn't always correct.

As an example, our boss was in a meeting all day and a situation arose that needed an immediate response. Those of us faced with the issue dealt with it "as we saw fit". Others in the office didn't agree with everything we did and we discussed it. We decided the boss will have to come up with a policy to handle such situations and it will probably combine what we did with the little more we could have done.

I believe part of every job, government or private, has an element of an employee having to "do as s/he see fit" whether it's facing a new situation where there is no policy, bringing toxic situations to the attention of higher authority or dropping a basket of fries during the lunch rush.

Just goes to show what can happen when one party gains control of all three branches of government. We weren't in a big enough mess with a republican house, senate, and president - they also got to tilt the balance of the Supreme Court. But take heart. November is coming, pay attention! And as to the whistleblower's dilemma, there will still be those willing to be fired or resign in order to get the truth out, thank heaven.

To be honest, I need to look into this more before I really form an opinion (I'm trying to resist a knee-jerk reaction against the ruling until I know more ), but your interpretation of "They do not, Kennedy said, have 'a right to perform their jobs however they see fit.'" is nonsense. Kennedy was not saying anything like the circumstances you describe. He was saying that government workers, like other workers, cannot disobey their bosses' instructions just because they think there way is better and not expect to face the consequences.

There is a large distinction between making needed decisions when the boss is absent and doing as you see fit in spite of (and against) the boss's instructions.