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OGC/MMK
SSIC 1235
SENT BY EMAIL
TO: All NCUA Employees
FROM: Executive Director Larry Fazio
SUBJ: Annual Whistleblower Protection/Prohibited Personnel Practice Notice
DATE: January 17, 2024
The purpose of this memorandum is to ensure that all agency employees are aware of and understand the prohibited personnel practices and whistleblower protections available to federal employees.
In keeping with the Whistleblower Protection Act’s notification requirements, this memorandum includes links to information about the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), which is an independent agency that protects federal employees from prohibited personnel practices, including whistleblower retaliation and unlawful hiring practices. OSC also provides an independent, secure channel for disclosing and resolving wrongdoing in federal agencies. The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989, Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012, and Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 provide the right for all covered federal employees to make whistleblower disclosures and ensure that employees are protected from whistleblower retaliation. Whistleblowing is defined as the disclosure of information that an employee reasonably believes evidences a violation of any law, rule or regulation; gross mismanagement; gross waste of funds; an abuse of authority; a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety; or censorship relating to scientific research or analysis. Employees may make lawful disclosures to anyone, including, for example, management officials, the Inspector General of an agency, and/or the OSC. NCUA employees may contact the NCUA Office of Inspector General (OIG) by calling the OIG’s office at 703.518.6350, the OIG Hotline at 800.778.4806 (toll-free) or 703.518.6357, or by emailing oighotline@ncua.gov.
Please review the fact sheet, "Your Rights as a Federal Employee," which provides detailed information on the fourteen prohibited personnel practices and employees’ rights to file complaints to OSC. Additionally, I encourage you to review the following materials: "Know Your Rights When Reporting Wrongs" and "The Role of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel," which describe different avenues for making whistleblower disclosures and OSC’s role in accepting complaints from federal employees.
Federal employees have the right to be free from prohibited personnel practices, including retaliation for whistleblowing. The NCUA is committed to making sure that all employees are aware of their rights as well as the safeguards that are in place to protect them.
cc:
Frank Kressman, OGC
Towanda Brooks, OHR