Federal agencies and managers across the Executive Branch may be surprised when the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) arrives to investigate a complaint of whistleblower reprisal or other alleged Prohibited Personnel Practices (PPP).

Federal agencies and managers across the Executive Branch may be surprised when the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) arrives to investigate a complaint of whistleblower reprisal or other alleged Prohibited Personnel Practices (PPP).

Quick question: what do you know about the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), or what happens when they launch an investigation in your agency? If you don’t know much, it’s easy to feel intimidated.

On November 3, 2020, the United States Office of Special Counsel (OSC) announced that it had reached two agreements with the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE). A statement by OSC claimed that the “core goals of the agreements are to protect the independence of the respective Inspectors General and provide better outcomes to whistleblowers who report allegations of wrongdoing by OIGs.” The agreements are “the result of a years-long effort to clarify standards of procedure for such disclosures.”

In guidance issued on Tuesday, the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) clarified questions relating to use and displays of the phrase “Black Lives Matter” (BLM) while on duty or in the federal workplace. The guidance addresses two central questions: whether BLM terminology is inherently political activity and whether the Black Lives Matter Global Network (BLMGN) is a partisan political group. OSC found the answer to both questions to be no, which under the Hatch Act generally allows employees to engage in BLM-related activity while on duty or in the workplace.