Filing an accurate whistleblower claim through the right channels may seem daunting. But with the proper steps and guidance, it doesn’t have to be!
“The purpose of whistleblowing is to expose secret and wrongful acts by those in power in order to enable reform.” —Glenn Greenwald, American journalist, author, and former lawyer
“Anyone who wants to tackle corruption must be willing to go all the way. There are no shortcuts.” —Obiagelli Ezekwesili, Nigerian economic policy expert, humanitarian, and activist
International Fraud Awareness Week is coming. The seven-day annual event dedicated to minimizing fraud and promoting anti-fraud awareness begins on November 17, 2024. We at Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival (WSFF) are major proponents for Fraud Week; we consider this annual observance highly parallel to our own organization’s causes. Both Fraud Week and the Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival stand for exposing social injustices, corruption, or criminal activities within establishments and institutions, as well as promoting dual cultures of upholding accountability for all. Our organizations are committed to revealing these activities by presenting solid evidence and reporting claims through the appropriate channels.
Mirroring Fraud Week’s significant use of their platform to educate and protect people from fraud, WSFF empowers individuals in need of blowing the whistle on unethical or illegal practices by providing them with assistance in properly reporting whistleblower claims. Reporting fraud involves a federal filing process similar to that for whistleblowing (this will be further examined during International Fraud Awareness Week itself).
Official Federal Agencies For Whistleblower Claim Submissions
There are a number of federal agencies and organizations in which whistleblowers can report and submit their claims. Among the most notable agencies include the Federal Trade Commission Office of the Inspector General (OIG), or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The agencies can vary according to the profession of the whistleblower.
Filing Federal Whistleblower Protected Disclosures Via the OIG
If the individual happens to be a federal employee, contractor, subcontractor, grantee, or subgrantee, then they are encouraged to report to the OIG. This particular organization allows federal whistleblowers to make protected disclosures of their claims. Federal whistleblowers are allowed to make protected disclosures under the Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA). This act protects federal employees, or applicants for federal employment, from retaliation for making these disclosures. In addition, the WPA also provides penalties for managers or supervisors who retaliate against whistleblowers.
To qualify for a WPA protected disclosure, the federal whistleblower must provide information that they reasonably believe constitutes evidence of:
Generally speaking, federal whistleblowers are encouraged to make their protected disclosures through the following means:
For additional information, please visit the OIG’s website at https://oig.ftc.gov. To file a whistleblower complaint via the OIG, please visit https://oig.ftc.gov/hotline.
Filing Occupational Whistleblower Claims Via OSHA
Workers who wish to file whistleblower complaints towards alleged workplace violations can report to OSHA. If workers are faced with workplace conditions that are deemed hazardous or dangerous, it is recommended that they bring the conditions to their employers’ attention. To officially report unsafe, dangerous working health conditions, workers can file their complaint via OSHA’s website at https://www.osha.gov/workers/file-complaint.
It is an unfortunate fact that, like federal employee whistleblowers, workplace whistleblowers might be the target of unwanted, hostile retaliation from their supervisors, just for exercising their rights to voice their concerns. Workplace whistleblowers are highly encouraged to file their whistleblower complaints with the following steps:
Similar to federal employees, workplace whistleblowers are also protected from supervisory retaliation through OSHA’s whistleblower protection laws. For a comprehensive list of OSHA’s whistleblower protections, please explore https://www.whistleblowers.gov/about-us
Trusting the Whistleblower Filing Process
Filing whistleblower claims can be daunting, as the investigation process can take anywhere from days to months. The timeline varies based on the nature of the claim, the whistleblower’s profession, the applicable statute, and the federal department handling the case (e.g., OSHA). But if armed with accurate facts and evidence, whistleblowers can submit their claim successfully despite setbacks, such as lengthy time periods and even possible employer retaliation.
They must trust the overall process in order for the investigations to work in order to ensure the whistleblower claim is properly and successfully approved.
You can help give more power and voice to whistleblowers by supporting the Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival. You will be helping to highlight civil and human rights violations across the globe. Call us at (870) 543-0024 or email us at mccray.michael@gmail.com.