The Third Edition contains a new chapter that provides an overview of federal laws containing whistleblower protection. This chapter not only outlines the subjects on which whistleblowers in the private sector receive protection under federal law, but also explains burdens of proof in whistleblowing claims brought pursuant to federal statutes. A new section examines the increasing number of state statutes that contain whistleblower protections for employees who disclose wrongful behavior on particular topics (such as abuse of patients in nursing homes).

The Third Edition includes discussions of:

• Lawson v. FMR LLC, in which the Supreme Court held that employees of private contractors and subcontractors of public companies are protected by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act’s whistleblower provisions.

• University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center v. Nassar, in which the Supreme Court held that a Title VII retaliation plaintiff must prove that “his or her protected activity was a but-for cause of the alleged adverse action by the employer.” The Third Edition explains how this case is likely to affect retaliation claims under various federal and state whistleblower protection statutes.

• Lane v. Franks, in which the Supreme Court held that the “First Amendment protects a public employee who provides truthful sworn testimony, compelled by subpoena, outside the scope of his ordinary job duties.” This is the first Supreme Court case that has explained the Garcettilimitation on whistleblowing claims that allege infringement on government employees’ First Amendment rights.

Additionally, the Third Edition includes updated material on recent DOL ARB decisions and outlines the revised OSHA investigations manual governing whistleblowing complaints filed with the DOL.