The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) includes a provision titled "Whistleblower Protection for Contractor Employees" (48 C.F.R. § 3.9) that safeguards employees of companies with federal government contracts. This regulation protects them from retaliation if they report suspected misconduct related to those contracts. It applies to both contractor and subcontractor employees who believe they have witnessed gross mismanagement of funds, abuse of authority, violations of law, or threats to public safety. Employees can report these issues through various channels, including directly to the Inspector General of the government agency overseeing the contract. The regulation also provides a pathway for employees to report retaliation and request an investigation. If retaliation is proven, the government can take action against the contractor, ensuring a safer environment for whistleblowers and promoting responsible use of taxpayer dollars within government contracting.
Related FAQs
48 C.F.R. § 3.9.
3.900 Scope of subpart.
(a) Sections 3.901 through 3.906 of this subpart implement 10 U.S.C. 2409 and 41 U.S.C. 265, as amended by Sections 6005 and 6006 of the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103– 355).
(b) Section 3.907 of this subpart implements Section 1553 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111–5), and applies to all contracts funded in whole or in part by that Act.
[74 FR 14634, Mar. 31, 2009]
3.901 Definitions.
As used in this supart—
Authorized official of an agency means an officer or employee responsible for contracting, program management, audit, inspection, investigation, or enforcement of any law or regulation relating to Government procurement or the subject matter of the contract.
Authorized official of the Department of Justice means any person responsible for the investigation, enforcement, or prosecution of any law or regulation.
Inspector General means an Inspector General appointed under the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended. In the Department of Defense that is the DOD Inspector General. In the case of an executive agency that does not have an Inspector General, the duties shall be performed by an official designated by the head of the executive agency.
[48 FR 42108, Sept. 19, 1983, as amended at 66 FR 2127, Jan. 10, 2001]
3.902 [Reserved]
3.903 Policy.
Government contractors shall not discharge, demote or otherwise discriminate against an employee as a reprisal for disclosing information to a Member of Congress, or an authorized official of an agency or of the Department of Justice, relating to a substantial violation of law related to a contract (including the competition for or negotiation of a contract).
3.904 Procedures for filing complaints.
(a) Any employee of a contractor who believes that he or she has been discharged, demoted, or otherwise discriminated against contrary to the policy in 3.903 may file a complaint with the Inspector General of the agency that awarded the contract.
(b) The complaint shall be signed and shall contain—
(1) The name of the contractor;
(2) The contract number, if known; if not, a description reasonably sufficient to identify the contract(s) involved;
(3) The substantial violation of law giving rise to the disclosure;
(4) The nature of the disclosure giving rise to the discriminatory act; and
(5) The specific nature and date of the reprisal.
3.905 Procedures for investigating complaints.
(a) Upon receipt of a complaint, the Inspector General shall conduct an initial inquiry. If the Inspector General determines that the complaint is frivolous or for other reasons does not merit further investigation, the Inspector General shall advise the complainant that no further action on the complaint will be taken.
(b) If the Inspector General determines that the complaint merits further investigation, the Inspector General shall notify the complainant, contractor, and head of the contracting activity. The Inspector General shall conduct an investigation and provide a written report of findings to the head of the agency or designee.
(c) Upon completion of the investigation, the head of the agency or designee shall ensure that the Inspector General provides the report of findings to—
(1) The complainant and any person acting on the complainant’s behalf;
(2) The contractor alleged to have committed the violation; and
(3) The head of the contracting activity.
(d) The complainant and contractor shall be afforded the opportunity to submit a written response to the report of findings within 30 days to the head of the agency or designee. Extensions of time to file a written response may be granted by the head of the agency or designee.
(e) At any time, the head of the agency or designee may request additional investigative work be done on the complaint.
3.906 Remedies.
(a) If the head of the agency or designee determines that a contractor has subjected one of its employees to a reprisal for providing information to a Member of Congress, or an authorized official of an agency or of the Department of Justice, the head of the agency or designee may take one or more of the following actions:
(1) Order the contractor to take affirmative action to abate the reprisal.
(2) Order the contractor to reinstate the person to the position that the person held before the reprisal, together with the compensation (including back pay), employment benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment that would apply to the person in that position if the reprisal had not been taken.
(3) Order the contractor to pay the complainant an amount equal to the aggregate amount of all costs and expenses (including attorneys’ fees and expert witnesses’ fees) that were reasonably incurred by the complainant for, or in connection with, bringing the complaint regarding the reprisal.
(b) Whenever a contractor fails to comply with an order, the head of the agency or designee shall request the Department of Justice to file an action for enforcement of such order in the United States district court for a district in which the reprisal was found to have occurred. In any action brought under this section, the court may grant appropriate relief, including injunctive relief and compensatory and exemplary damages.
(c) Any person adversely affected or aggrieved by an order issued under this section may obtain review of the order’s conformance with the law, and this subpart, in the United States Court of Appeals for a circuit in which the reprisal is alleged in the order to have occurred. No petition seeking such review may be filed more than 60 days after issuance of the order by the head of the agency or designee. Review shall conform to Chapter 7 of Title 5, United States Code.
3.907 Whistleblower Protections Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Recovery Act).
3.907–1 Definitions.
As used in this section—
Board means the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board established by Section 1521 of the Recovery Act.
Covered funds means any contract payment, grant payment, or other payment received by a contractor if—
(1) The Federal Government provides any portion of the money or property that is provided, requested, or demanded; and
(2) At least some of the funds are appropriated or otherwise made available by the Recovery Act.
Covered information means information that the employee reasonably believes is evidence of gross mismanagement of the contract or subcontract related to covered funds, gross waste of covered funds, a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety related to the implementation or use of covered funds, an abuse of authority related to the implementation or use of covered funds, or a violation of law, rule, or regulation related to an agency contract (including the competition for or negotiation of a contract) awarded or issued relating to covered funds.
Inspector General means an Inspector General appointed under the Inspector General Act of 1978. In the Department of Defense that is the DoD Inspector General. In the case of an executive agency that does not have an Inspector General, the duties shall be performed by an official designated by the head of the executive agency.
Non-Federal employer, as used in this section, means any employer that receives Recovery Act funds, including a contractor, subcontractor, or other recipient of funds pursuant to a contract or other agreement awarded and administered in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
[74 FR 14634, Mar. 31, 2009, as amended at 75 FR 34259, June 16, 2010]
3.907–2 Policy.
Non-Federal employers are prohibited from discharging, demoting, or otherwise discriminating against an employee as a reprisal for disclosing covered information to any of the following entities or their representatives:
(1) The Board.
(2) An Inspector General.
(3) The Comptroller General.
(4) A member of Congress.
(5) A State or Federal regulatory or law enforcement agency.
(6) A person with supervisory authority over the employee or such other person working for the employer who has the authority to investigate, discover, or terminate misconduct.
(7) A court or grand jury.
(8) The head of a Federal agency.
[74 FR 14634, Mar. 31, 2009]
3.907–3 Procedures for filing complaints.
(a) An employee who believes that he or she has been subjected to reprisal prohibited by the Recovery Act, Section 1553 as set forth in 3.907–2, may submit a complaint regarding the reprisal to the Inspector General of the agency that awarded the contract.
(b) The complaint shall be signed and shall contain—
(1) The name of the contractor;
(2) The contract number, if known; if not, a description reasonably sufficient to identify the contract(s) involved;
(3) The covered information giving rise to the disclosure;
(4) The nature of the disclosure giving rise to the discriminatory act; and
(5) The specific nature and date of the reprisal.
(c) A contracting officer who receives a complaint of reprisal of the type described in 3.907–2 shall forward it to the Office of Inspector General and to other designated officials in accordance with agency procedures (e.g., agency legal counsel).
[74 FR 14634, Mar. 31, 2009, as amended at 75 FR 34259, June 16, 2010]
3.907–4 Procedures for investigating complaints.
Investigation of complaints will be in accordance with section 1553 of the Recovery Act.
[74 FR 14634, Mar. 31, 2009]
3.907–5 Access to investigative file of Inspector General.
(a) The employee alleging reprisal under this section shall have access to the investigation file of the Inspector General, in accordance with the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a. The investigation of the Inspector General shall be deemed closed for the purposes of disclosure under such section when an employee files an appeal to the agency head or a court of competent jurisdiction.
(b) In the event the employee alleging reprisal brings a civil action under section 1553(c)(3) of the Recovery Act, the employee alleging the reprisal and the non-Federal employer shall have access to the investigative file of the Inspector General in accordance with the Privacy Act.
(c) The Inspector General may exclude from disclosures made under 3.907–5(a) or (b)—
(1) Information protected from disclosure by a provision of law; and
(2) Any additional information the Inspector General determines disclosure of which would impede a continuing investigation, provided that such information is disclosed once such disclosure would no longer impede such investigation, unless the Inspector General determines that the disclosure of law enforcement techniques, procedures, or information could reasonably be expected to risk circumvention of the law or disclose the identity of a confidential source.
(d) An Inspector General investigating an alleged reprisal under this section may not respond to any inquiry or disclose any information from or about any person alleging such reprisal, except in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552a or as required by any other applicable Federal law.
[74 FR 14634, Mar. 31, 2009]
3.907–6 Remedies and enforcement authority.
(a) Burden of Proof.
(1) Disclosure as contributing factor in reprisal.
(i) An employee alleging a reprisal under this section shall be deemed to have affirmatively established the occurrence of the reprisal if the employee demonstrates that a disclosure described in section 3.907–2 was a contributing factor in the reprisal.
(ii) A disclosure may be demonstrated as a contributing factor in a reprisal for purposes of this paragraph by circumstantial evidence, including—
(A) Evidence that the official undertaking the reprisal knew of the disclosure; or
(B) Evidence that the reprisal occurred within a period of time after the disclosure such that a reasonable person could conclude that the disclosure was a contributing factor in the reprisal.
(2) Opportunity for rebuttal. The head of an agency may not find the occurrence of a reprisal with respect to a reprisal that is affirmatively established under section 3.907–6(a)(1) if the nonFederal employer demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence that the non-Federal employer would have taken the action constituting the reprisal in the absence of the disclosure.
(b) No later than 30 days after receiving an Inspector General report in accordance with section 1553 of the Recovery Act, the head of the agency concerned shall determine whether there is sufficient basis to conclude that the non-Federal employer has subjected the complainant to a reprisal prohibited by subsection 3.907–2 and shall either issue an order denying relief in whole or in part or shall take one or more of the following actions:
(1) Order the employer to take affirmative action to abate the reprisal.
(2) Order the employer to reinstate the person to the position that the person held before the reprisal, together with the compensation (including back pay), compensatory damages, employment benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment that would apply to the person in that position if the reprisal had not been taken.
(3) Order the employer to pay the complainant an amount equal to the aggregate amount of all costs and expenses (including attorneys’ fees and expert witnesses’ fees) that were reasonably incurred by the complainant for, or in connection with, bringing the complaint regarding the reprisal.
(c)
(1) The complainant shall be deemed to have exhausted all administrative remedies with respect to the complaint, and the complainant may bring a de novo action at law or equity against the employer to seek compensatory damages and other relief available under this section in the appropriate district court of United States, which shall have jurisdiction over such an action without regard to the amount in controversy if
(i) The head of an agency—
(A) Issues an order denying relief in whole or in part under paragraph (a) of this section;
(B) Has not issued an order within 210 days after the submission of a complaint in accordance with section 1553 of the Recovery Act, or in the case of an extension of time in accordance with section 1553 of the Recovery Act, within 30 days after the expiration of the extension of time; or
(C) Decides in accordance with section 1553 of the Recovery Act not to investigate or to discontinue an investigation; and
(ii) There is no showing that such delay or decision is due to the bad faith of the complainant.
(2) Such an action shall, at the request of either party to the action, be tried by the court with a jury.
(d) Whenever an employer fails to comply with an order issued under this section, the head of the agency shall request the Department of Justice to file an action for enforcement of such order in the United States district court for a district in which the reprisal was found to have occurred. In any action brought under this section, the court may grant appropriate relief, including injunctive relief, compensatory and exemplary damages, and attorneys fees and costs.
(e) Any person adversely affected or aggrieved by an order issued under paragraph (b) of this subsection may obtain review of the order’s conformance with the law, and this section, in the United States Court of Appeals for a circuit in which the reprisal is alleged in the order to have occurred. No petition seeking such review may be filed more than 60 days after issuance of the order by the head of the agency.
[74 FR 14634, Mar. 31, 2009]
Federal Acquisition Regulation
3.907–7 Contract Clause.
Use the clause at 52.203–15, Whistleblower Protections Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in all solicitations and contracts funded in whole or in part with Recovery Act funds.
[74 FR 14634, Mar. 31, 2009]
