Whistleblower Protections for Prime and Sub Employees Expanded

On September 30, 2013, the government amended the FAR and DFARS to enhance whistleblower protections for employees of government contractors and extend such protections to subcontractor employees. As discussed in a prior Crowell & Moring webinar, these enhanced protections, which also apply to non-defense contracts through a four-year "pilot program," broaden the scope of protected disclosures to include reporting an "abuse of authority," add new protections for internal disclosures to certain managerial employees, lower the burden of proof for demonstrating a "reprisal" against the whistleblower, and afford greater remedies such as compensatory damages and legal fees.