On July 30th, we will join agencies across the federal government in celebrating National Whistleblower Appreciation Day. Whistleblowers play a critical role in promoting accountability and efficiency across the federal government. Federal employees and employees of contractors and grantees can serve as an important resource for identifying fraud, waste, and abuse.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the OPM Office of the Inspector General (OIG) value the role that whistleblowers play in government oversight. This year we applaud the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act's expansion of the rights and protections of whistleblowers, which included amendments that augmented the role of agency Whistleblower Protection Coordinators and new requirements for educating all OIG employees about whistleblower protections.

At OPM, we strive to make sure whistleblowers feel safe to come forward, speak frankly, and do what is right without fear of retaliation or harassment. The OPM OIG maintains a hotline to receive whistleblower complaints pertaining to fraud, waste, and abuse. OPM employees and employees of contractors and grantees may submit a hotline complaint or reach out by phone at (877) 499-7295. They may also contact the OPM OIG Whistleblower Protection Coordinator for general information about their rights under the whistleblower protection laws at opmoigwhistleblower@opm.gov. Whistleblowers can choose to remain anonymous when reporting to the OIG.

Federal employees may also choose to contact the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) to disclose fraud, waste, and abuse. For more information on whistleblower protection rights, please visit OSCʼs website.

Thank you,

Director Kiran A. Ahuja

Inspector General Krista A. Boyd