DoD Hotline - Whistleblower Reprisal Complaints

 

What is a Whistleblower Reprisal Complaint?


Reprisal occurs when a subject takes (or threatens to take) an unfavorable personnel action against an individual, or withholds (or threatens to withhold) a favorable personnel action because that individual made or was perceived to have made a protected communication or disclosure.

Filing a Whistleblower Reprisal Complaint

Whether an unfavorable action was taken or threatened, or a favorable action withheld or threatened to be withheld, is fact-dependent and evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
We will evaluate your complaint of reprisal for the following three conditions, but these vary depending on employment status:

  1. Did a protected communication or disclosure occur?
  2. Did the subject(s) have knowledge of the protected communication/disclosure OR did the subject(s) believe a specific individual made a protected communication/disclosure, even if they did not?
  3. Was an unfavorable action taken (or threatened), or was a favorable action withheld (or threatened to be withheld)?

Please submit documentation for each personnel action, if available.  We encourage you to read the applicable definitions and filing requirements specific to your employee status for more details.  For help with filing your specific complaint, refer to the following guides created to assist you.


AUTHORITIES:  Public Law 95-452, “Inspector General Act of 1978,” as amended; section 1034, title 10, United States Code (10 U.S.C. § 1034), “Protected Communications; Prohibition of Retaliatory Personnel Actions” (Military Whistleblower Protection Act), as amended; 10 U.S.C. § 1587, “Employees of Nonappropriated Fund Instrumentalities:  Reprisals” (NAFI Whistleblowers), as amended; 10 U.S.C. § 4701, “Contractor Employees:  Protection from Reprisal for Disclosure of Certain Information,” as amended; 10 U.S.C. § 2890, “Rights and Responsibilities of Tenants of Housing Units,” as amended; DoD Instruction 7050.01, “DoD Hotline Program,” as amended; DoD Directive (DoDD) 7050.06, “Military Whistleblower Protection,” as amended; DoDD 1401.03, “DoD Nonappropriated Fund Instrumentality (NAFI) Employee Whistleblower Protection,” as amended; DoDD 5505.06, “Investigations of Allegations Against Senior DoD Officials,” as amended; Presidential Policy Directive 19, “Protecting Whistleblowers with Access to Classified Information,” October 10, 2012; and Directive-Type Memorandum 13-008, “DoD Implementation of Presidential Policy Directive 19,” as amended.

PURPOSES:  The DoD Hotline provides a confidential, reliable means for individuals to report fraud, waste, and abuse, violations of law, rule or regulation, mismanagement, and classified information leaks involving the DoD.  Information is used to conduct the appropriate investigation.    


ROUTINE USES:  In addition to the disclosures permitted by 5 USC 552a, Section (b), Conditions of Disclosure, information may be disclosed for any of the reasons listed in the System of Records Notice CIG-16, Inspector General Administrative Investigation Records (IGAIR), from the Office of the Secretary, DoD/Joint Staff published in the Federal Register 87 FR 32391.  


DISCLOSURE:  Voluntary.  Complaints can be submitted anonymously.      

 

File a Whistleblower Reprisal Complaint Online

 

Other Submittal Methods:

1.) Download one of the two forms below in PDF format:

2.) Send your form to the DoD Hotline via:

Mail:

DoD Hotline
THE PENTAGON
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20301-1900