A coalition of good-government and whistleblower advocacy groups is asking Congress and the administration to strengthen federal employee whistleblower protections, saying that while changes enacted in 2012 have helped, that law did not address some of the law’s weaknesses.
They asked for new legislation that would allow for jury trials of retaliation complaints, saying that “federal workers are the only significant sector of the U.S. labor force who cannot seek enforcement of whistleblower rights in court.”
They also recommend greater protections against retaliation not directly work-related such as criminal investigations and referral for prosecution; additional forms of temporary relief from personnel actions while an investigation into alleged retaliation is ongoing; and mandatory discipline of managers found to have committed retaliation.