Whistle Blower Protection for State Employees
State employees are protected against retaliatory action when they
- Disclose or threaten to disclose to a supervisor or a public body an activity, policy, or practice of any state agency, office or employee that the state employee reasonably believes to be a violation of law, rule or regulation.
- Provide information to or testify before any public body conducting an investigation, hearing, or inquiry into a violation of law, rule, or regulation by any state agency, officer, or employee.
- Assist or participate in a proceeding to enforce the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act.
Retaliatory action means
- Reprimand, discharge, suspension, demotion, denial of promotion or transfer, or change the terms or conditions of employment of any state employee that occurs in retaliation for an employee's involvement in the protected activities, above.
Remedies if retaliation occurs may include
- Reinstatement of employment.
- Two times back pay.
- Interest on back pay.
- Reinstatement of fringe benefits and seniority rights.
- Payment of reasonable costs and attorneys' fees.
Whistle Blower protections and remedies for State Employees are also available on the Office of Executive Inspector General's web site.
Complaints may be filed with the University Ethics Officer or directly with the Office of Executive Inspector General.
University Ethics Officer
Michelle Taylor
Executive Director of Compliance and Ethics
Thalman Hall, 1202 Douglas Drive East
MC 6810
Carbondale, IL 62901
618-536-3461
ethics1@siu.edu
Office of Executive Inspector General
32 West Randolph Street
Suite 1900
Chicago, Illinois 60601
312-814-5600 (General Number)
866-814-1113 (Hotline Number)
800-524-8794 (TTY)
312-814-5479 (Fax)
http://inspectorgeneral.il.gov
Please contact the Office of Human Resources at 618-650-2190 if you need additional guidance.