July 30 is National Whistleblower Appreciation Day. On that day, we join agencies across the federal government to honor whistleblowers and the contributions they make to promote accountability and efficiency in the federal government. Whistleblowers play a critical role in reporting fraud, waste, and abuse. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) is committed to supporting whistleblowers and ensuring that they are protected from retaliation once they make a protected disclosure.
“Whistleblowing” is defined as the disclosure of information that an employee reasonably believes shows: 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.
All GSA and GSA OIG employees, contractors, subcontractors, and personal services contractors are protected from retaliation for making a protected disclosure. And all of our managers and supervisors have an obligation to create an environment that is supportive of lawful whistleblowing, and to not retaliate against employees who make a lawful disclosure. The OIG maintains a webpage with information about how to make a protected disclosure and how to report retaliation or reprisal for blowing the whistle at www.gsaig.gov/whistleblower. The OIG also has a Whistleblower Protection Coordinator who is dedicated to educating and empowering individuals who want to report waste, fraud, abuse, or misconduct and ensuring they are fully informed of their rights and protections from reprisal.
Please visit GSA OIG’s website to learn more about whistleblower rights and protections and to access additional resources. Reports of waste, fraud, abuse, or misconduct can be made to the OIG hotline at www.gsaig.gov/hotline.
