Federal employees may discover that mismanagement or illegal behavior is occurring in their place of employment, which can place the employee in a very difficult situation. If the employee chooses to disclose the wrongful conduct, known as “whistleblowing,” this can cause difficulties in the workplace for that employee.
If you as an employee have engaged in a protected disclosure, the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA) is designed to protect you from any retaliation in your workplace. Protected disclosures are disclosure in one or more of the following areas:
- A violation of any law, rule, or regulation;
- Gross mismanagement;
- Gross waste of funds;
- Abuse of authority; or
- A substantial and specific danger to public health or safety.
If you are a federal employee who has engaged or intend to engage in such a disclose, please reach out to our team of federal employment attorneys to help you navigate that process and ensure that you remain protected. If you have already “blown the whistle” and are now experiencing a hostile work environment or adverse actions, contact us to ensure that you do not continue to be subject to illegal retaliation.
Generally, whistleblower cases can be heard in two different forums, either before the Merit Systems Protection Board, the MSPB, or they may be brought to the attention of the Office of Special Counsel, OSC. These cases can be very nuanced based on the disclosures and the subsequent actions that you, the whistleblower, experience.
Contact Us for a Consultation on Your WPEA Rights
If you are engaging in or have engaged in whistleblowing protection activities, please do not hesitate to contact our office at (757) 460-3477 and schedule an initial consultation with one of the members of our team to hear more about the protection afforded to you.