Whistleblower disclosures can save lives as well as billions of taxpayer dollars. They play a critical role in keeping our government honest, efficient and accountable. Recognizing that whistleblowers root out waste, fraud and abuse, and protect public health and safety, federal laws strongly encourage employees to disclose wrongdoing. Federal laws also protect whistleblowers from retaliation. Pursuant to the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012, the Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General, has established a Whistleblower Ombudsman to educate Department of Energy employees about prohibitions on retaliation for whistleblowing, as well as employees' rights and remedies if anyone retaliates against them for making a protected disclosure (i.e. "Whistleblowing").
Employees can contact the IG Ombudsman at IGOmbudsman@hq.doe.gov. Employees should know that the IG Ombudsman is not permitted to act as a legal representative or advocate for employees or former employees, but can help explain the employee's options.