What is Whistleblower Protection
Whistleblowers perform an important service by bringing to light allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement and by reporting what they reasonably believe to be evidence of wrongdoing. They should not be subject to or threatened with reprisal for doing so. Employees of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission employees and contractors who blow the whistle play a critical role in keeping Agency programs and operations honest, efficient, and accountable. Federal laws both strongly encourage employees to disclose wrongdoing and protect whistleblowers from retaliation.
The Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA) was codified in 1989 and amended in 2012 (Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act) and 2017 (Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017) The Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA): A Legal Overview | Congress.gov | Library of Congress. The WPA prohibits retaliation against federal employees, former federal employees, and applicants for employment who lawfully disclose information they reasonably believe evidences a violation of law, rule, or regulation, gross mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety.
The Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA) was codified in 1989 and amended in 2012 (Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act) and 2017 (Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017). The WPA prohibits retaliation against federal employees, former federal employees, and applicants for employment who lawfully disclose information they reasonably believe evidences a violation of law, rule, or regulation, gross mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety.
Under the WPA, certain federal employees may not take or fail to take, or threaten to take or fail to take; a personnel action with respect to any employee or applicant for employment because of any disclosure of information by an employee or applicant which the employee or applicant reasonably believes evidences any violation of any law, rule, or regulation, or gross mismanagement, a gross waste or funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety.
If you believe that you have been retaliated against for making a protected disclosure to EEOC management, the EEOC OIG, or to a member of Congress, you may file a complaint with the OIG or the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC). The OSC is an independent federal investigative agency and its primary mission is to safeguard the merit system by protecting federal employees and applicants from prohibited personnel practices, especially whistleblower retaliation.