OSC Institutes New Policy to Encourage Rewarding Whistleblowers

May 20, 2025

general disclosure of wrongdoing

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) today introduced a policy encouraging agencies to provide monetary rewards in some cases to federal employees who blow the whistle and successfully uncover wrongdoing within federal government. As an independent federal agency, OSC serves as a confidential and secure channel for whistleblowers to disclose wrongdoing, including by reporting waste, fraud, abuse or dangers to health and safety.

Factors that OSC will consider when recommending an agency grant a cash reward to a whistleblower include cost savings recovered or other significant impacts on the public interest. Agencies already have the statutory authority to grant whistleblower rewards of up to $10,000, while larger awards require U.S. Office of Personnel Management or Presidential approval.

“OSC is committed to ensuring whistleblowers are protected and heard, and, when appropriate, they should be rewarded for their contributions to public service,” said Senior Counsel Charles Baldis.

Whistleblowers help keep the federal government honest, efficient and accountable and save lives and American taxpayer dollars. For more information on how current and former federal employees or applicants for employment can blow the whistle, please see OSC’s Disclosure of Wrongdoing Overview.