National Whistleblower Day 2023

July 30^th is National Whistleblower Day. It's an occasion to recognize and appreciate the long history of whistleblowers, who help combat waste, fraud, abuse, & violations of laws & regulations.

The City and County of San Francisco's Whistleblower Program is administered by the Controller's Office. Over the years, reports have been filed by both the public and City staff, with many claims substantiated after investigation. These are some examples of the reports filed in recent years.

Falsified Timecards
A report stated that employees falsified their timecards and did not follow industry standards in performing their work. It also claimed that the workplace lacked appropriate safety measures, in violation of industry standards.
The investigation substantiated that two employees regularly falsified their timecard entries and that the department did not have appropriate safety measures.

Employee Favoritism
A report stated that management showed favoritism to certain employees, allowing them to falsify attendance records and work in unreported secondary employment. The investigation substantiated that two managers favored certain employees, allowed them to falsify their time and attendance records, and ignored complaints about the falsification. The investigation also substantiated that one of the managers and at least one employee had unreported secondary employment.

Hostile Environment
A report stated that a manager lacked professionalism and did not protect the confidentiality of employees. When concerns were raised, employees were subsequently faced with a hostile work environment.

The investigation substantiated the allegations.

Study Sessions
A report claimed that a manager was hosting religious study classes in their office during work hours, disrupting operations.

An investigation confirmed that a manager was indeed hosting religious study sessions during workdays at a city facility

Our quarterly reports with additional summaries can be found here.