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Where To Report Waste
Fraud, Abuse, Or Retaliation
Where To Report Waste Fraud, Abuse, Or Retaliation

Additional Information About Reporting Waste, Fraud, Abuse, and Retaliation

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Whistleblowers should never be subjected to retaliation for reporting wrongdoing. If you believe you have been retaliated against because you disclosed wrongdoing, the options available to you depend on your specific place of employment and the type of alleged retaliation. Please review the sections below for additional information for:

Federal executive branch civilian employees (who do not work in the Intelligence Community or for the Federal Bureau of Investigation)

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) plays an important role in helping whistleblowers. OSC is an independent agency that protects federal employees from whistleblower retaliation. OSC also provides an independent, secure channel for disclosing and resolving wrongdoing in federal agencies.

OSC has primary jurisdiction to investigate claims of retaliation by most federal employees, but does not have jurisdiction over retaliation complaints by employees in the Intelligence Community, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or retaliation claims involving a security clearance or access to classified information.

For more information about OSC, you may refer to OSC’s web site, or review this OSC pamphlet, “Know Your Rights When Reporting Wrongs.”

All employees who hold a security clearance with the federal government (including contractors and grantees)

Presidential Policy Directive 19 (PPD-19) makes it unlawful for a federal agency to take any action affecting your access to classified information in reprisal for making a protected disclosure. If you believe you have been subjected to a retaliatory action affection your security clearance, you may file a complaint with your agency’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG), or contact your OIG Whistleblower Protection Coordinator for more information.

For more detailed information on the protections available to Federal employees, contractors, and grantees with a security clearance, please click here.

Intelligence community employees

OSC does not have jurisdiction over retaliation claims by employees in the Intelligence Community (IC). Intelligence Community employees. The IC operates under different authorities than the rest of the Federal government, so there are key variations in the processes for IC whistleblower protections. These protections are found within Presidential Policy Directive 19 (PPD-19), Intelligence Community Directive 120 (ICD-120), and applicable statutes.

For more information on the whistleblower protections available to employees in the Intelligence Community, visit the Intelligence Community Inspector General’s (ICIG) web site.

Federal Bureau of Investigation employees

OSC does not have jurisdiction over retaliation claims by employees of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). If you are an employee of the FBI, you may submit a retaliation complaint to the Department of Justice (DOJ) OIG Hotline, or to the DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). The DOJ OIG or the OPR will review reprisal complaints made by FBI employees and conduct investigations of such complaints.

For more information on the whistleblower protections available to FBI employees, visit the DOJ OIG’s web site.

Employees of federal contractors, grantees, subcontractors, subgrantees, and personal services contractors for the federal government

Employees of federal contractors and grantees play a critical role in ensuring that all federal funds are utilized honestly, efficiently, and accountably. Recognizing this, Congress passed laws to protect employees of contractors and grantees from retaliation. This includes employees who work for Intelligence Community contractors and grantees. The whistleblower protections for employees of federal contractors and grantees are enforced by OIGs.

For more information on the whistleblower protections available to employees of federal contractors, grantees, subcontractors, and subgrantees, click here.

Members of the military services

The Department of Defense OIG is responsible for enforcing the whistleblower protections for most Members of the Military Services. If you are a member of the Military Services, you may have the option of submitting a retaliation complaint with Department of Defense OIG, or the IG for your service component or Defense Agency Inspector General. For more information, the Department of Defense OIG has prepared a “Guide to filing a military reprisal complaint.”

If you are a member of the Coast Guard, you may have the option of filing a retaliation complaint with the Department of Homeland Security OIG. For more information for members of the Coast Guard, visit the Department of Homeland Security OIG’s whistleblower protection web page.

Members of the commissioned corps of the U.S. Public Health Service

The Department of Health and Human Services has jurisdiction over retaliation complaints by Members of the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. If you are a member of the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, you may submit a retaliation complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Additional information regarding reprisal complaints for PHS Commissioned Corps Officers can be found here.

Employees of Offices of Inspector General

In general, employees of OIGs have the same whistleblower protections that extend to employees in their agency or department. However, if your complaint or disclosure involves the Inspector General or designated senior staff of an IG, you may contact CIGIE’s Integrity Committee.

Employees of a state, local, or tribal government

The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Whistleblower Program enforces numerous whistleblower laws. For more information on the whistleblower laws enforced by OSHA’s whistleblower program, and which of these apply specifically to state and local government employees, visit the OSHA Whistleblower Program’s web site.

Please note, if you are a state, local or tribal government employee whose employer receives federal contracts or grants, and believe you have been retaliated against for blowing the whistle on a federal contract or grant, you may have the option of submitting a retaliation complaint with the OIG for the contract or grant-making agency. Click here for more information on how to file a retaliation complaint with an OIG as an employee of a federal contractor or grantee.

Additionally, you may have the right to submit a retaliation complaint with a state or local government Inspector General. The Association of Inspectors General provides a directory of State and Local Inspector General Agencies.

Individuals who are not government employees, contractors, or grantees

OSHA’s Whistleblower Program

The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Whistleblower Program enforces numerous whistleblower laws. For more information on the whistleblower laws enforced by OSHA’s whistleblower program, and which of these apply to the private sector, visit the OSHA Whistleblower Program’s web site. OSHA's Whistleblower Protection Program enforces laws protecting employees who report violations of various workplace safety and health, airline, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, environmental, financial reform, food safety, health insurance reform, motor vehicle safety, nuclear, pipeline, public transportation agency, railroad, maritime, and securities laws.

SEC Office of the Whistleblower

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Office of the Whistleblower was established to administer the SEC's whistleblower program, which accepts disclosures concerning possible violations of securities law by companies. The SEC is authorized by Congress to provide monetary awards to eligible individuals who come forward with high-quality original information that leads to a Commission enforcement action in which over $1,000,000 in sanctions is ordered.

CFTC Whistleblower Program

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission Whistleblower Program provides monetary incentives to individuals who report possible violations of the Commodity Exchange Act that lead to a successful enforcement action, as well as privacy, confidentiality, and anti-retaliation protections for whistleblowers.

IRS Whistleblower Office

The Internal Revenue Service’s Whistleblower Office pays money to people who blow the whistle on persons who fail to pay taxes that they owe. If the IRS uses information provided by the whistleblower, it can award the whistleblower up to 30 percent of the additional tax, penalty and other amounts it collects.