A whistleblower protection act is a federal or state law that protects employees from retaliation, such as termination or discrimination, for properly disclosing employer wrongdoing. Also termed as the whistleblower act. An employer's wrongdoing includes violations of law or regulation, gross waste of funds, gross mismanagement, abuse of authority, or specific and substantial danger to public health or safety.
Federal whistleblower legislation includes an act that protects all government employees, known as the Whistleblower Protection Act (5 USC). Many states also have whistleblower legislation, but these statutes vary in their coverage. Some laws apply only to public employees or employees of public contractors while some laws also apply to private employees.
See also: https://www.whistleblowers.gov.
[Last updated in May of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]