Federal Government Whistleblowers

• The federal government has an extensive set of protections in place for whistleblowers and a fully developed process for reporting an action taken against you after disclosing information about illegal or improper activities within a governmental department. The Congressional Research Service has a booklet entitled "The Whistleblower Protection Act: An Overview" that details all aspects of the act, including employees covered, protected disclosures, protected activities and forums where your whistleblower protections may be raised. The booklet also covers your individual right of action (IRA) and outlines negotiated grievance procedures.
  
  

Federal Complaints

• Federal agencies have an Office of Investigation (OIG) and an Inspector General. When you have a situation to report within your agency, you should contact this office. The National Science Foundation's Office of the Inspector General states that the WPA allows for reporting your allegations outside of your normal chain of command. It further states that the OIG or the Office of Special Counsel are the usual forums for raising allegations.
  
  

Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) Regulations

• OSHA, under the umbrella of the Department of Labor, enforces a series of workplace health and safety regulations. OSHA is also in charge of administering whistleblower protection under the OSH Act. If your are not receiving the employee safety and health rights afforded you by the OSH Act, you have the right to request company compliance and report workplace safety issues to OSHA. If you complain and face discrimination or reprisal as a result of this action, OSHA will administer whistleblower protection for you. The Department of Labor website lists the 21 statutes that OSHA administers.
  
  

Whistleblower Provisions

• In addition to administering whistleblower protection when the OSH Act is violated, OSHA also administers seventeen other whistleblower provisions. All seventeen provisions are listed on the Department of Labor website. Many of these provisions pertain to employees reporting noncompliance with public health and safety laws on the part of their companies. For example, if you report that your company is violating the Clean Air Act or Safe Drinking Water Act and then face a reprisal or discrimination at work, OSHA would administer whistleblower protections. Unlike OSH Act protections that relate to your particular situation at work, these provisions relate to health and safety concerns that could affect the public.