The award winning, Compliance into the Weeds is the only weekly podcast which takes a deep dive into a compliance related topic, literally going into the weeds to more fully explore a subject. Looking for some hard-hitting insights on compliance? Look no further than Compliance into the Weeds! In this episode of Compliance into the Weeds, Tom Fox and Matt Kelly discuss a GAO audit of the Department of Homeland Security’s whistleblower retaliation program.
They use it as a case study for corporate compliance officers. DHS employees can report internally via the Office of Inspector General hotline or externally to the Office of Special Counsel, but the GAO review focused on DHS’s internal process, where the OIG’s Whistleblower Protection Division (eight investigators) investigates retaliation and, if substantiated, sends cases to the Office of the Secretary and ultimately the DHS Secretary for corrective action. Although targets are six months for investigation and 30 days for secretarial action, GAO found investigations averaged 3.2 years (some up to six) amid rising complaint volumes, turnover, and evidence-gathering challenges, while none of 11 substantiated cases were decided within 30 days due to missing written procedures and no designated accountable official—illustrating how delayed resolution erodes reporting culture and “institutional justice.”
Key Highlights
- Why the GAO Report Matters
- DHS Whistleblower Program Structure
- Timeline Expectations vs Reality
- Compliance Lessons and GAO Value
Resources
Matt in Radical Compliance
Tom
A multi-award winning podcast, Compliance into the Weeds was most recently honored as one of a Top 25 Regulatory Compliance Podcast and a Top 10 Business Law Podcast, and a Top 12 Risk Management Podcast. Compliance into the Weeds has been conferred a Davey, Communicator and w3 Award, all for podcast excellence.