order non hybrid seeds LandRightsNFarming: Whistleblower Protection

Monday, January 22, 2018

Whistleblower Protection





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-------- Original message --------
From: Juanita Winkey Kennedy <Juanita.Winkey-Kennedy@fiscal.treasury.gov>
Date: 01/08/2018 12:30 PM (GMT-05:00)
To: Tanya Ward Jordan <ward.tj7@gmail.com>
Cc: lawrlcl <lawrlcl@aol.com>
Subject: Whistleblower Protection

 

 

DHS Logo

 

 

November 29, 2017

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

Last month, the President signed into law the Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 to honor a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs psychologist who suffered significant retaliation for reporting wrongdoing at work. Dr. Kirkpatrick committed suicide as a result. In his memory, the new law works to ensure that supervisors cannot exact retribution on employees who make protected disclosures about misconduct or illegal activities. The law includes mandatory penalties for supervisors who are found to have retaliated against a whistleblower. This law is part of the commitment by the Department and the Federal government to provide you a workplace in which you can safely report wrongdoing when you see it.

 

In addition to the 2017 law, the Whistleblower Protection Act protects federal employees and applicants against retaliation for making whistleblower disclosures and prohibits federal agencies from taking, or threatening, action because an employee or applicant made a whistleblower disclosure. The Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012 further strengthens the protections for federal employees who disclose evidence of misconduct and illegal activities. As a Department, we want every employee to be both empowered and protected in their reporting of any misconduct or illegal activities. By working together with employees and the public, the Department, Office of Inspector General (OIG), and Office of Special Counsel (OSC) aim to protect the integrity, effectiveness, and efficiency of all DHS programs. As a measure of our commitment to these protections, the Department's whistleblower protection program worked for many years and obtained OSC certification of the program in 2016.

 

There are a number of avenues for reporting perceived violations, including to the DHS OIG, OSC, and U.S. Congress. To help you easily determine both what you should report and how to report suspected issues, we have created a web resource – DHS Whistleblower Protection. At this site, you can find frequently asked questions, see what training the Department offers, what legal protections are available, and a number of other helpful tools and guidance. If you believe you have been subjected to discrimination or retaliation for protected equal employment opportunity (EEO) activity, contact your component EEO office within 45 calendar days of the date of the alleged discriminatory or retaliatory act, or the date you knew or should have known of the alleged discrimination. Refer to Filing an Equal Employment Opportunity Complaint for more information. Additional information regarding your rights as a whistleblower, the types of disclosures that are protected, and the complaint process is available on the OIG's Whistleblower Protection Unit website. This unit ensures Department employees and contract personnel are aware of the role and importance of whistleblowers in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the Department's operations. The unit also provides education on your legal rights and protections against retaliation. More information about protected disclosures is also on the OSC website.

 

Remember, the manner by which we carry out our mission is also critical. We all have a responsibility to report wrongdoing and you should never be afraid to report illegal or unethical behavior that occurs here at DHS. Whistleblowers are protected by law and retaliation is prohibited. Your service and sacrifice on behalf of DHS deserve nothing less.

 

Sincerely,

 

Chip Fulghum

Deputy Under Secretary for Management

 

With honor and integrity, we will safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values.