{"id":357907,"date":"2017-03-16T16:39:58","date_gmt":"2017-03-16T21:39:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/employment\/whistleblowers\/whistleblower-protection-act-an-overview.html"},"modified":"2024-04-16T09:58:39","modified_gmt":"2024-04-16T14:58:39","slug":"whistleblower-protection-act-an-overview","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/employment\/whistleblowers\/whistleblower-protection-act-an-overview.html","title":{"rendered":"Whistleblower Protection Act: An Overview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Whistleblower Protection Act: An Overview<\/h1>\n
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\n By Olivia Wathne, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Melissa Bender, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Whistleblowers provide a crucial service by holding organizations accountable for wrongdoing. Congress has recognized this. As a result, many state and federal laws<\/a> exist to protect them from workplace retaliation.<\/span>
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One such law is the Whistleblower Protection Act<\/a> (WPA). The WPA provides a way for federal employees to disclose misconduct. It also allows for employees to report retaliation.<\/p>\r\n

Below, you’ll find an overview of the Whistleblower Protection Act. Read on to learn about key points to consider if you are, or might be, a federal whistleblower.<\/p>\r\n

Creation of the Whistleblower Protection Act<\/h2>\r\n

The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978<\/a> first addressed whistleblower rights. The federal government then passed the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989. The purpose of the Act was to strengthen and improve protection for the rights of federal employees, to prevent reprisals, and to help eliminate wrongdoing within the government.<\/p>\r\n

One way the law did this was by clarifying the procedure by which employees could report wrongdoing and workplace retaliation. Another was by separating the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC)<\/a> from the Merit Systems Protection Board<\/a> (MSPB). This empowered the OSC to represent whistleblowers.<\/p>\r\n

Who Is Protected by the Whistleblower Protection Act?<\/h2>\r\n

The Whistleblower Protection Act protects current federal employees, former federal employees, and applicants for federal employment from retaliation<\/a>. The OSC does not handle claims for employees of federal contractors, members of the military, or the U.S. Postal Service.<\/p>\r\n

The OSC can’t represent you if you work for intelligence agencies that include the CIA<\/a>, FBI<\/a>, or NSA<\/a>. In addition, the OSC does not handle disclosures that are prohibited by law and required by executive order to be kept secret.<\/p>\r\n

Making Disclosures of Wrongdoing Under the Whistleblower Protection Act<\/h2>\r\n

As a federal employee, you can report any of the following types of misconduct to the OSC:<\/p>\r\n