Federal whistleblowers calling out government fraud, waste, abuse and other acts of malfeasance are sometimes portrayed as material wrongdoers or even criminals themselves. But only by the unlawful actors in agencies and other federal entities they target. In fact,...
Whistleblower Protection
Whistleblowing behavior: a public service warranting strong protection
Here’s an obvious question concerning fraud, waste and abuse within the federal government realm: What person will report it if he or she risks serious reprisal from an employer for doing so? Wrongdoing within the federal sphere takes broad-based forms. Agency...
Federal whistleblowers need to be free of employer reprisals
Do American federal workers who perform an exemplary service that broadly benefits the public deserve kudos or an employer’s wrath and job termination? That’s not exactly a hard question to answer, is it? And yet despite the obvious response, it is sadly the case that...
NSA inspector general calls for a ‘robust whistleblower program’
Rob "It's a big federal government agency. It spends a lot of taxpayer dollars. And so, as a general matter, I think the public has a right to know how its funds are being spent," the National Security Agency's inspector general, Rob Storch, told NPR."I felt very...
Understanding whistleblower rights
When an employee witnesses harassment, discrimination or another illegal action at work, he or she should feel comfortable reporting the behavior.When an employee “blows the whistle” on the employer or company, the employee is protected by law. Unfortunately, some...
Special Counsel whistleblower backlog doubled from 2011 to 2016
A recent report from the Government Accountability Office found that the Office of Special Counsel's backlog of whistleblower and prohibited personnel practices cases almost doubled between 2011 and 2016, even though the OSC has been actively working to reduce it. The...
All Circuit Review Act gives federal whistleblowers more options
The All Circuit Review Act was signed into law on July 9 after a six-year pilot program. It gives federal employees to appeal Merit Systems Protection Board decisions to any federal appellate court of competent jurisdiction, which means any U.S. court of appeals. In...
Has the VA whistleblower protection office made positive changes?
For years, the Department of Veterans Affairs has been accused of routinely retaliating against whistleblowers. The problems prompted President Trump to issue an executive order last year creating the VA's Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection last...
Pentagon: Misconduct complaints up but fewer are substantiated
During a recent House Armed Services subcommittee meeting, Defense Department investigators told lawmakers that complaints against senior military and defense officials have been increasing over the past several years. That said, more of these cases are being turned...
Retaliation for speaking out
As a federal employee, you should feel confident raising concerns in your workplace. If you have a complaint or employment-related concern, there should be nothing stopping you from bringing it forward to your supervisor, manager or personnel department.Unfortunately,...