Most employees try to work within the system in their particular agency.
The Federal Whistleblowers Protection Act, codified at 5 U.S.C. 2302, on its face appears to protect most federal employees who choose communication through their chain of command or through administratively sanctioned processes from retaliation. Nonetheless, Congress has twice been forced to strengthen the Act because of bureaucratic interpretations and adverse court decisions. No one likes to face retaliation. Some employees at this point either begin working outside the agency, decide to hire a lawyer, work with mental health professional to deal with the stress, or simply leave. Civil Service and Other Appeals Civil servants have several avenues of appeal.