The Office of Special Counsel, which enforces whistleblower protection law, has lauded enactment of the latest measure designed to expand those protections (P.L. 115-73), saying the new law “fills gaps in current protections, enhances accountability for whistleblower retaliation, and increases awareness of whistleblower protections.”
“Increasing accountability for whistleblower retaliation is critical to deterring others from similar unacceptable behavior,” OSC said of the provision requiring discipline of those who take retaliation.
In addition, OSC noted that the measure:
requires agencies to notify OSC if an employee commits suicide after making a protected disclosure and subsequently suffering a personnel action;
provides employees who obtain a stay of a personnel action from the Merit Systems Protection Board the opportunity to receive priority in a transfer request; and
enhances agencies’ obligations to provide information to employees on whistleblower protections and requires new supervisors to receive training on responding to whistleblower retaliation complaints.