Can a supervisor prohibit an employee from filing a report of improper governmental activity with the State Auditor?
No. RCW Chapter 42.40.030 specifically prohibits direct or indirect interference with the filing of a whistleblower disclosure. It applies to all state employees. This statute also prohibits attempts at interfering with an employee providing information to the auditor during an investigation. Q: Does a whistleblower have to sign his or her name? Assertions of improper governmental action may be filed anonymously. Anonymous assertions will be reviewed by a panel to determine whether they will be investigated. The panel includes a state auditor representative knowledgeable of the subject agency operation, a citizen volunteer and a representative of the Attorney General’s Office. Including your name and number enables us to contact you to gather information that may be necessary for a thorough investigation. In many investigations this can be important. Under state law, anyone who conducts a state employee whistleblower investigation must keep the whistleblower’s name confidential. In add
