Whistleblower Protection: Reasons for Whistleblower Complainants'
Dissatisfaction Need To Be Explored (Letter Report, 11/15/93,
GAO/GGD-94-21).

A survey of federal workers who have sought whistleblower reprisal
protection from the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) found that the vast
majority were frustrated with the complaint process and did not believe
that investigators gathered all of the information needed to examine
their claims.  Believing that OSC failed to act on their behalf, most
survey respondents said that they needed to hire a lawyer to protect
their interests.  Also, most of the respondents did not seem to fully
understand the process.  GAO concludes that OSC needs to look into the
reasons for this level of dissatisfaction and work with Congress to
address the problems. Education about the whistleblower protection
process clearly needs attention.  Federal workers need to know about
their right to protection from whistleblower reprisals, the four
elements needed to prove that reprisal has occurred, and the challenges
that complainants may encounter in pursuing their cases.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  GGD-94-21
     TITLE:  Whistleblower Protection: Reasons for Whistleblower 
             Complainants' Dissatisfaction Need To Be Explored
      DATE:  11/15/93
   SUBJECT:  Federal employees
             Legal aid
             Investigations by federal agencies
             Investigations into federal agencies
             Labor-management relations
             Administrative remedies
             Federal personnel case law
             Crimes or offenses
             Legal rights

             
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