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Title 5 — Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73not60

§407 Complaints by Employees

Title 5 › Part I— THE AGENCIES GENERALLY › Chapter 4— INSPECTORS GENERAL › § 407

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

Lets the Inspector General take and look into complaints from employees about possible law or rule breaking, bad management, big waste of money, abuse of power, or serious dangers to public health and safety. The Inspector General must keep the employee’s name secret unless the employee agrees or the investigator decides it can’t be avoided. Any manager or person who can make or approve personnel decisions must not punish or threaten an employee for complaining or giving information to the Inspector General, unless the complaint was made knowing it was false or the person didn’t care whether it was true.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §407

Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Inspector General may receive and investigate complaints or information from an employee of the establishment concerning the possible existence of an activity constituting a violation of law, rules, or regulations, or mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to the public health and safety.
(b)The Inspector General shall not, after receipt of a complaint or information from an employee, disclose the identity of the employee without the consent of the employee, unless the Inspector General determines the disclosure is unavoidable during the course of the investigation.
(c)Any employee who has authority to take, direct others to take, recommend, or approve any personnel action, shall not, with respect to that authority, take or threaten to take any action against any employee as a reprisal for making a complaint or disclosing information to an Inspector General, unless the complaint was made or the information disclosed with the knowledge that it was false or with willful disregard for its truth or falsity.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 4075 U.S.C. App. (IGA § 7)Pub. L. 95–452, § 7, Oct. 12, 1978, 92 Stat. 1105.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 407

Title 5 — Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60