Bibliographic References for Whistleblowers

The basic references for Federal legal research remain the U.S.Code Annotated, United Stated Reports, Federal Reporters and the Merit Systems Protection Reporter. Lawyers normally search them through the Westlaw or Lexis/Nexis database, which require paid subscriptions. Some alternate links can be found through findlaw.com or Lectric Law Library, or even the MSPB's website. Here are some learned treatises about this specialized area, as well as books designed for ordinary people:

Legal Books Written for Lawyers

General Books Written
for Non-Lawyers

Legal Books about Whistleblower Issues by/for Lawyers

Congressional Research Service (L. Paige Whitaker and Michael Schmerling), Whistleblower Protections for Federal Employees(22 pages, updated May 18, 1998). Available through U.S. Senators, Representatives, and legislative committee staffs.

Baird, James, David D. Kadue and Kenneth Sulzer, Public Employee Privacy: A Legal and Practical Guide to Issues Affecting the Workplace (1995: ABA Section of State and Local Government Law)

Broida, Peter C., A Guide to the Merit Systems Protection Board (19th ed., Dewey Publications, 2000). An attorney for managers revises this weighty compilation annually. Although expensive for most individual whistleblowers, many law libraries have outdated editions. Because agencies and managers remain the main market, watch out for bias, including continuing citations to pro-manager cases overruled by other cases or statutes, as well as to unpublished decisions. http://www.deweypub.com/

Ashner, Harold J., Representing the Agency Before the Merit Systems Protection Board. Same publisher, same proviso as above.

Deskbook Encyclopedia of Public Employment Law (8th ed., Data Research Inc. 1998)

Kohn, Stephen M., Concepts and Procedures in Whistleblower Law (Westport, Conn., Quorum Books, 2001). )

Stefan, Susan, Hollow Promises(Washington, D.C., American Psychological Association, 2002). Though this book concerns the Americans with Disabilities Act, bully bosses also affect whistleblowers.

Vaughn, Robert G., Merit Systems Protection Board Rights & Remedies(Law Journal Seminars Press 1998 and annual spring updates). Most cites are to the original WPA, not as amended in 1994, with other inaccuracies where libraries have failed to file updates.

Westman, Daniel P., Whistleblowing: the Law of Retaliatory Discharge (Washington, D.C., Bureau of National Affairs, 1991). Though somewhat dated, good overview of retaliation law for government and private sector employees, written from a management perspective.

General Books about Whistleblowing for Non-Lawyers

Fick, Barbara J., The American Bar Association Guide to Workplace Law: Everything You Need to Know as an Employer or Employee (ABA, 1997)

Gregory, Robert J., Your Workplace Rights: an Employee's Guide (McGraw Hill, 1999) By a senior EEOC attorney, though of course the views expressed therein are not of the agency ...

Mace, Donald and Eric Yoder, Your Job Rights: The Federal Employees Guide to Appeals and Grievances (Federal Employees News Digest, Inc., 1993).www.fedforce.com/fedforce/main_ref.htm. Somewhat outdated, since predates 1994 WPA amendments.

Outten, Wayne, et al., The Rights of Employees and Union Members, 2d ed. (ACLU, 1994).
http://www.aclu.org/issues/worker/hmwr.html. Similar date/timing problems.

Passman & Kaplan, Federal Employees Legal Survival Guide: How to Protect and Enforce Your Job Rights (National Employee Rights Institute, 1999).

Paul H. Tobias, Job Rights and Survival Strategies (National Employee Rights Institute, 1997)