Whistleblower Rights and Protections

VA employees may make whistleblower disclosures to:

• Their supervisory chain or management officials;
• VA’s Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP);
• The U.S. Office of Special Counsel;
• VA’s Office of Inspector General;
• Congress, in accordance with 5 U.S.C. § 7211.

VA employees may not be prosecuted or reprised against for disclosing information, as long as the disclosure is permitted by law, to:

• VA’s Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP)
• The U.S. Office of Special Counsel
• VA’s Office of Inspector General
• Congress
• Another investigative agency

Learn more about the difference between the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP), the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, VA’s Office of Inspector General, and VA’s Office of Resolution Management, Diversity and Inclusion.

Non-disclosure agreements must include language explaining that the agreement does not limit an employee’s ability to make a whistleblower disclosure. Learn more about the language required in a non-disclosure agreement (pdf).

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