Message to EPA Employees: 2023 Whistleblower Protection Statement (May 23, 2023)
Colleagues,
Protecting federal employee rights is a focal point of President Biden’s agenda, as outlined in Executive Order 14003. I too am committed to protecting employee rights, including your right to be free from prohibited personnel practices and retaliation for whistleblowing.
It is vital you are aware of and understand the whistleblower protections available to all federal employees.
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel is an independent agency protecting federal employees from prohibited personnel practices, including whistleblower retaliation and unlawful hiring practices. OSC also provides a secure channel for disclosing and resolving wrongdoing in federal agencies.
The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 and the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012 protect all covered federal employees from whistleblower retaliation and provide them with the right to make whistleblower disclosures. The Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 and OSC’s Reauthorization Act of 2017 further enhance and reinforce these rights and protections.
Whistleblowing is defined as the disclosure of information an employee reasonably believes evidences:
- A violation of any law, rule or regulation;
- Gross mismanagement;
- Gross waste of funds;
- An abuse of authority;
- A substantial and specific danger to public health or safety; or
- Censorship related to scientific research or analysis.
Federal employees may make lawful disclosures to anyone, including, for example, management officials, the Inspector General of an agency or the OSC. EPA employees may disclose information to EPA’s Office of Inspector General through their hotline complaint form.
The EPA Office of Inspector General has the authority to investigate whistleblower retaliation allegations made against EPA employees. Employees can also contact the EPA Whistleblower Protection Coordinator for information about prohibitions on retaliation for whistleblowing, and employees’ rights and remedies against retaliation for protected disclosures.
To learn more, I encourage you to:
- Review Your Rights as a Federal Employee (pdf) for detailed information on the fourteen prohibited personnel practices and employees’ rights to file complaints with OSC.
- Know Your Rights When Reporting Wrongs (pdf) for different ways to make whistleblower disclosures as federal employees.
- Visit OSC’s website for more information.
EPA is committed to ensuring all employees know their rights, including the existing safeguards to protect them. Thank you for your attention.
Michael S. Regan
Administrator