How do I file a claim under the Whistleblower Protection Act?

 

 

If you are a Federal government employee or applicant for employment and you want to file a claim for whistleblower reiteration under the Whistleblower Protection Act, you need to go to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel. That agency is a federal independent investigatory agency. They have an extremely helpful website at www.osc.gov. They will help walk you through the complaint filing process. They will have the complaint forms and frequently asked questions on there as well to help guide you through that process.

For additional about the Whistleblower Protection Act, see our article “Whistleblower Protections Under the Whistleblower Protection Act.”

Guide to the Whistleblower Protection Act

Whistleblower attorneys Eric Bachman and Jason Zuckerman, former senior officials at the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, have released a guide for federal employee whistleblowers titled The Whistleblower Protection Act: Empowering Federal Employees to Root Out Waste, Fraud and Abuse and is available for download by clicking here.The goal of the guide is to inform federal employees about the whistleblower rights and protections available under the Whistleblower Protection Act, as amended by the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act and the Follow the Rules Act.

Drawing on their experience enforcing the WPA at OSC and representing whistleblowers in private practice,  the guide provides an overview of the WPA and offers practical tips for navigating some of the challenging issues that often arise in whistleblower cases.  Topics covered include:

• What Disclosures are Protected Under the Whistleblower Protection Act?
• Does the Whistleblower Protection Act Protect Employees Who Exercise an Appeal or Grievance Right?
• Prohibited Forms of Whistleblower Retaliation
• Proving Knowledge of Protected Whistleblowing
• Proving Causation
• What is an Agency’s Burden to Avoid Liability Once the Whistleblower Has Proved Causation?
• Seeking Relief from Retaliation
• Election of Remedies
• Can OSC Seek a Stay of a Personnel Action?
• Damages or Remedies for Retaliation
• Gag Orders and Non-Disclosure Agreements

Experienced Washington DC Whistleblower Protection Act Lawyers

Zuckerman Law has represented whistleblowers before the Office of Special Counsel, Offices of Inspectors General, and Congressional oversight committees.  The firm is uniquely qualified to represent whistleblowers in the federal government because two of the firm’s attorneys served in senior roles at the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.

• Eric Bachman served as Deputy Special Counsel, Litigation and Legal Affairs, OSC, where he spearheaded an initiative to combat whistleblower retaliation at the Department of Veterans Affairs.  During Bachman’s tenure at OSC, the number of favorable actions for whistleblowers increased by over 50% agency-wide.
• Jason Zuckerman served as Senior Legal Advisor to the Special Counsel at OSC, where he worked on implementation of the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act and several high-profile investigations.

The firm has represented whistleblowers testifying before the House Financial Services Committee and vigorously opposed efforts to silence whistleblowers.  The whistleblower protection lawyers at Zuckerman Law have also helped federal employees combat unlawful gag provisions in agency policies or agreements.

If you are seeking representation in a whistleblower protection case, click here, or call us at 202-262-8959 to schedule a free preliminary consultation.