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Title 5, Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-110

§407 Complaints by Employees

Title 5 › PART I — THE AGENCIES GENERALLY › CHAPTER 4 — INSPECTORS GENERAL › § 407

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Inspector General can take and look into complaints or tips from an employee about possible law or rule breaking, mismanagement, big waste of money, abuse of power, or a clear, specific danger to public health and safety. The Inspector General must keep the employee’s identity secret unless the employee agrees or it becomes unavoidable during the investigation. Anyone who can take, direct, recommend, or approve personnel actions must not punish or threaten an employee for reporting to the Inspector General, unless the employee knew the report was false or willfully ignored whether it was true.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §407

Government Organization and Employees, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Receipt and Investigation.—
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)Prohibition on Disclosure of Identity.—
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)Prohibition on Reprisal.—
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

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110