Federal Manager's Daily Report

New acting VA IG Linda A. Halliday has said that one of her first priorities is to make sure that all employees of the IG’s office are fully trained on federal whistleblower protection laws, including seeking certification from the Office of Special Counsel.

“Undertaking the certification process will help strengthen our past training efforts so that all OIG employees–from our Hotline analysts who are a whistleblower’s first point of contact with the OIG to our auditors, investigators, and healthcare inspectors who interact with whistleblowers in the course of their daily work activities–can assist whistleblowers in making protected disclosures and educating them on their right to be free from retaliation for whistleblowing and other prohibited personnel practices,” she said in a statement.

“Whistleblowers are the lifeline of OIG organizations, and I am committed to protect their identities, understand their concerns, objectively seek the truth, and pursue accountability and corrective action.”