Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:The Culture of Health Care
Unit:Ethics and Professionalism
Lecture:Ethical and legal standards
Slide content:Protection of Whistleblowers Federal Law Example of When It Applies False Claims Act A false claim for payment has been made, such as Medicare fraud Occupational Safety and Health Act Practices that result in an unsafe workplace Clean Air Act Practices that contribute to air pollution Solid Waste Disposal Act Improper disposal of solid waste 8.6 Table: Protection of whistleblowers (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, 2012). 20
Slide notes:Many federal laws protect whistleblowers from retaliation, depending on the circumstances. For example, whistleblowers who disclose information about unsafe workplaces may be protected from job discrimination by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to prove that a negative act, such as an employers failure to promote a whistleblower, is really retaliation for the whistleblowing. 20