The United States whistleblower act is created to protect federal whistle blowers. They are the employees who are tasked to report any anomalies within a particular office of the government. Due to the sensitivity of their profession, their lives or career are often at stake.
They are the ones who are tasked to report an authority or an incident to the person who is in charge. They can also provide an external report, which can be given to the press, law enforcers, or other regulators. The first WPA (Whistleblower Protection Act) was created to protect the United States from fraudulent suppliers during the civil war. The law states that these federal employees will receive a percentage of the amount that the government has won over the fraud transactions. The act also protects the employees from unlawful termination of their employment.
In 2009, further enhancement to the law has been made. It was proposed by Senator Daniel Akaka, which amends the federal employee law in relation to the protection of federal whistle blowers. The law states that protection will apply to a disclosure of any breach of law. Exceptions to alleged minor and inadvertent violations which take place while performing out of official duties apply.
The new WPA also protects the whistle blowers from superiors who retaliate their actions in an unlawful manner. This includes unnecessary disciplinary actions, demotion, dismissal, threats, denial of benefits, and reduction on wage or work hours. A lot of employees had to suffer these consequences back then due to the nature of their job.
To guarantee their safety, the WPA states that ‘any disclosure of information is protected’. Unlike its predecessor act which states ‘a disclosure’, the amended WPA ensures that any type of disclosure done will be considered confidential. An employee should also have a reasonable or logical belief on the accuracy of the information that was disclosed.
A proposal for a new whistleblower act was submitted by the US Senate in June 2011. The new WPA aims to provide these government employees with added protection, benefits, and security. It was approved and was officially in effect since August 12,2011.
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