Protection of Whistleblowers

Civil servants who have revealed acts of corruption, severe harm to good governance or a serious violation of the law in their workplace (hereinafter: "Act of Corruption"), are liable to pay a heavy price on account thereof.
They are liable to suffer from constraints, threats, exclusion, physical and verbal violence – and they are even liable to lose their place of employment or to discover that the employer has damaged their wages or deteriorated their employment conditions.

For this reason, the law has authorized the State Comptroller, in his role as the Ombudsman, to protect these employees. The Ombudsman regards the authority granted to him to protect the whistleblowers an essential element in preserving integrity in public service. 

Legal Protection for Whistleblowers 

If the Ombudsman came to conclusion that a whistleblower has been harmed as a result of revealing Acts of Corruption, he may issue an interim or permanent protective order as to prevent any harm to them, their wages or their employment conditions – and may even order the revocation of dismissal, the granting of special compensation, or the transfer of the whistleblower to other positions within their workplace.

A written or verbal statement from an employee about an Act of Corruption is likely to grant him the Ombudsman's protection. In certain cases, even the refusal to cooperate with an Act of Corruption may be deemed to be an act that complies with the conditions for receiving a protective order. 

The employees must act in good faith and believe that the act they are revealing is indeed an Act of Corruption and prove a "cause and effect" between the revelation of the Act of Corruption and the harassment against them. It is sufficient that the employees indicate the revelation of the act had a significant contribution to the employer's decision to harm their employment conditions or to dismiss them.

The law also provides protection to internal auditors of public bodies if their supervisors have harmed them in response to acts they have performed in the course of fulfilling their position. 

The complainants are eligible for representation from the Legal Aid Department at the Ministry of Justice, regardless of their financial situation and in accordance with the provisions of the Legal Aid Law.

How do we inquire the employees' complaints

When a complaint is received, the possibility of issuing an interim protective order is considered. We conduct an inquiry with all the parties that can shed light on the facts and examine all the relevant documents. We gather and analyze the findings and establish the apparent conclusions. 

The findings and apparent conclusions are submitted for the response of the party that may be affected by them, for his response. After the response has been examined, a supplementary inquiry proceeding is conducted, as necessary, and thereafter the Ombudsman makes a final decision. 

It is noted, that according to the law, the public bodies are obligated to publish at the workplace, in a prominent spot, the main provisions of the law regarding the protection of whistleblowers, in the format outlined by the Ombudsman.

A comprehensive support for employees and their family members

The process of filing a complaint and the inquiry proceedings might be complicated and involve many difficulties that affect the employees and their environment in various aspects. Accordingly, during the course of the inquiry , support and emotional accompaniment services are offered by a clinical social worker, an employee of the Office of the Ombudsman, who has been specially trained for this purpose.

You may contact us via the online complaint form and by other methods (for methods of contacting the Office of the Ombudsman click here). 

Filing a request for protection is free of charge and does not require representation by an attorney.

In appropriate cases we assist employees and employers in reaching agreements between them, including by mediation, and when there is agreement, the Ombudsman grants it the validity of a binding decision.

Have you reported a wrongdoing in your workplace and have been harmed as a result? You are not alone!
Contact the Office of the Ombudsman at the Office of the State Comptroller.