(TND) — A new report from the Government Accountability Office shows a rise in some whistleblower retaliation cases at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
And while similar cases have decreased at another agency, the bottom line is that there are still way too many folks who feel like they’re being punished for reporting government waste, a GAO official said.
“We just shouldn't be in a position where people are getting punished for trying to do the right thing,” said Thomas Costa, a director in the GAO’s Education, Workforce, and Income Security team.
Costa was set to testify last week with his findings at a congressional hearing that got postponed.
He said the new report is part of their work that remains underway, which they expect to finish next year with an eye toward including recommendations to improve the process.
“Whistleblowers serve a valuable role in our government, and they do need protection,” he said. “That is often hard to provide to people that are deserving of it, and it is an area that we do need to pay serious attention to.”
Protecting whistleblowers at the VA is “immensely important,” Costa said.
The VA employs around 400,000 people, and caring for the health of our veterans is its largest function.
A VA employee who believes they’re aware of fraud, waste or abuse can become a whistleblower.
When they experience what they think is retaliation, they can then file a complaint with the VA’s Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection or with an...
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