What protections does a whistleblower receive?

Whistleblowers are protected from retaliation for disclosing information that the employee or applicant reasonably believes provides evidence of a violation of any law, rule, regulation, gross mismanagement, gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety.

What is the average settlement for whistleblower retaliation?

The mathematical average of the total recoveries (settlements and judgments) for this time period is approximately $3.3 million, with an average whistleblower award of $562,000.

Is there a law protecting whistleblowers?

Passed in 1989, the Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA) is one of the primary statutes that outlines public employees’ right to speak out about misconduct, aimed at ensuring that all government employees can safely disclose “violations of laws, rules, or regulations, or mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of …

How long is a whistleblower protected?

30 to 180 days Some statutes that fall under the 30-day reporting include Clean Air Act, OSH Act Section 11(c), Federal Water Pollution Control Act and Toxic Substance Control Act. On the other end of the time frame are the statutes that allow up to 180 days for reporting.

Can a whistleblower be fired?

No. Under the laws of most states, it is illegal for an employer to retaliate against a whistleblower who has reported, or attempted to report, the illegal conduct of the employer. In a qui tam case, the whistleblower reports fraud to the government and claims a share of the recovery. …

How much are whistleblower cases worth?

Whistleblower rewards under the False Claims Act The whistleblower (known as the “relator” in qui tam cases) may receive a reward of 15 percent to 25 percent of what the government recovers, if the government joins the qui tam case.

What is the Whistleblower Protection Act of 2012?

The Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012 (WPEA) was signed into law in 2012. The law strengthened the protections for federal employees who disclose evidence of waste, fraud, or abuse.

What is the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989?

In 1989, Congress passed the Whistleblower Protection Act to “strengthen and improve protection for the rights of federal employees, to prevent reprisals, and to help eliminate wrongdoing within the Government.” One way the law did this was by clarifying the procedure by which employees could report wrongdoing and …