What Is the Whistleblower Protection Act?

What Is the Whistleblower Protection Act?

  • The Fee Is Free Unless You Win®.
  • America's Largest Injury Law Firm™
  • Protecting Families Since 1988
  • 20 Billion+ Won
  • 1,000+ Lawyers Nationwide

Free Case Evaluation

Tell us about your situation so we can get started fighting for you. We tailor each case to meet our clients' needs.
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
Our results speak for themselves

The attorneys featured above are licensed in Florida. For a full list of attorneys in your state please visit our attorney page.

What Is the Whistleblower Protection Act?

The Whistleblower Protection Act is a federal law designed to protect government workers who report unlawful practices, abuses of authority, and dangers to public safety. Senator Carl Levin (D—MI) introduced the bill in January 1989. The Senate passed it unanimously that March, and President George H.W. Bush signed the bill into law on April 10, 1989.

When a government agency retaliates (or threatens to retaliate) against an employee for reporting unlawful or unethical behavior, it violates the Whistleblower Protection Act. This law and the False Claims Act serve as the foundation for many whistleblower (or qui tam) lawsuits filed by federal workers.

What Types of Behaviors Can Whistleblowers Report?

The Whistleblower Protection Act shields government employees from retaliation for reporting the following actions:

  • Violations of the law (e.g., fraud)
  • Significant danger to public health/safety
  • Abuse of authority
  • Gross waste of funds
  • Gross mismanagement
  • Censorship related to research, analysis, or technical information

Though it’s natural for a worker to fear the consequences of blowing the whistle on these behaviors, federal law protects them in these instances.

Are Workers Compensated for Reporting Fraud?

As per the False Claims Act, when an employee successfully proves that an agency or company is defrauding the government, they are entitled to 10-30% of the money collected by the government. This can amount to millions of dollars.

Since 2010, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has issued $120 million in awards to whistleblowers.

How Do I Blow the Whistle?

The first thing you should do is contact a whistleblower lawyer who can guide you through this process. An attorney will know what kind of evidence to gather, how best to collect it, and how to build the strongest case possible.

We realize this is a scary time for you, but blowing the whistle on unethical behavior is the right thing to do, and you could be rewarded for your bravery and patriotism. Across all of our practice areas, Morgan & Morgan has recovered more than $20 billion for clients.

To find out if you qualify for a whistleblower lawsuit, and to learn more about what these cases entail, fill out a case review form for a free, confidential consultation. It costs nothing up front to hire us, and we get paid only if you win.

Scroll down for more
FAQ

Get answers to commonly asked questions about our legal services and learn how we may assist you with your case.

Whistleblower Protection Act FAQs

  • Who Investigates Whistleblower Complaints?

    The Office of Special Counsel, which was formed in 1979, oversees all federal whistleblower investigations. The office has a staff of around 120, and it makes the results of all investigations available to the public.

Scroll down for more Load More

How it works

It's easy to get started.
The Fee Is Free Unless You Win®.

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

  • Step 1

    Submit
    your claim

    With a free case evaluation, submitting your case is easy with Morgan & Morgan.

  • Step 2

    We take
    action

    Our dedicated team gets to work investigating your claim.

  • Step 3

    We fight
    for you

    If we take on the case, our team fights to get you the results you deserve.

Settlement

$40,000,000

Customer Story

“I was in a difficult situation when I was injured by a faulty product. I was hesitant to seek legal help but with the help of Morgan & Morgan, they made the process easy. They took immediate action and got me the compensation I deserved. I couldn't have done it without them. I highly recommend their services.” Estate of Patricia Allen v. RJ Reynolds, et al. | 2014

Client success
stories that inspire and drive change

Explore over 55,000 5-star reviews and 800 client testimonials to discover why people trust Morgan & Morgan.

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances. Based on Select nationwide reviews

  • Video thumbnail for 5l3q2e67j8
    Wistia video play button
  • Video thumbnail for yfe952tcop
    Wistia video play button
  • Video thumbnail for z1bqwg9hkl
    Wistia video play button
  • Video thumbnail for s5nb3hnvkv
    Wistia video play button
  • Video thumbnail for t4elibxene
    Wistia video play button
  • Video thumbnail for 5nr9efxqj3
    Wistia video play button
  • Video thumbnail for e8s1x6u5jp
    Wistia video play button