Iowa Whistleblower Protections

Iowa Code Sec. 70A.28

(9) For purposes of this section, “state employee” and “employee” include, but are not limited to, persons employed by the general assembly and persons employed by the state board of regents.

Iowa Code Sec. 70A.28

(1) A person who serves as the head of a state department or agency or otherwise serves in a supervisory capacity within the executive or legislative branch of state government shall not require an employee of the state to inform the person that the employee made a disclosure of information permitted by this section and shall not prohibit an employee of the state from disclosing any information to a member or employee of the general assembly or from disclosing information to any other public official or law enforcement agency if the employee reasonably believes the information evidences a violation of law or rule, mismanagement, a gross abuse of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety. However, an employee may be required to inform the person that the employee made a disclosure of information permitted by this section if the employee represented that the disclosure was the official position of the employee’s immediate supervisor or employer.

(2) A person shall not discharge an employee from or take or fail to take action regarding an employee’s appointment or proposed appointment to, promotion or proposed promotion to, or any advantage in, a position in a state employment system administered by, or subject to approval of, a state agency as a reprisal for a failure by that employee to inform the person that the employee made a disclosure of information permitted by this section, or for a disclosure of any information by that employee to a  member or employee of the general assembly, a disclosure of information to the office of citizens’ aide, or a disclosure of information to any other public official or law enforcement agency if the employee reasonably believes the information evidences a violation of law or rule, mismanagement, a gross abuse of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety.  However, an employee may be required to inform the person that the employee made a disclosure of information permitted by this section if the employee represented that the disclosure was the official position of the employee’s immediate supervisor or employer.

(3) Subsections 1 and 2 do not apply if the disclosure of the information is prohibited by statute.

(7) A person shall not discharge an employee from or take or fail to take action regarding an employee’s appointment or proposed appointment to, promotion or proposed promotion to, or any advantage in, a position in a state employment system administered by, or subject to approval of, a state agency as a reprisal for the employee’s declining to participate in contributions or donations to charities or community organizations.

Iowa Code Sec. 70A.28

(5) Subsection 2 may be enforced through a civil action.

(a) A person who violates subsection 2 is liable to an aggrieved employee for affirmative relief including reinstatement, with or without back pay, or any other equitable relief the court deems appropriate, including attorney fees and costs.

(b) When a person commits, is committing, or proposes to commit an act in violation of subsection 2, an injunction may be granted through an action in district court to prohibit the person from continuing such acts. The action for injunctive relief may be brought by an aggrieved employee or the attorney general.

(6) Subsection 2 may also be enforced by an employee through an administrative action pursuant to the requirements of this subsection if the employee is not a merit system employee or an employee covered by a collective bargaining agreement. An employee eligible to pursue an administrative action pursuant to this subsection who is discharged, suspended, demoted, or otherwise receives a reduction in pay and who believes the adverse employment action was taken as a result of the employee’s disclosure of information that was authorized pursuant to subsection 2, may file an appeal of the adverse employment action with the public employment relations board within thirty calendar days following the later of the effective date of the action or the date a finding is issued to the employee by the office of the citizens’ aide pursuant to section 2C.11A. The findings issued by the citizens’ aide may be introduced as evidence before the public employment relations board. The employee has the right to a hearing closed to the public, but may request a public hearing. The hearing shall otherwise be conducted in accordance with the rules of the public employment relations board and the Iowa administrative procedure Act, chapter 17A. If the public employment relations board finds that the action taken in regard to the employee was in violation of subsection 2, the employee may be reinstated without loss of pay or benefits for the elapsed period, or the public employment relations board may provide other appropriate remedies. Decisions by the public employment relations board constitute final agency action.

Iowa Code § 685.3

“Any employee, contractor, or agent”

“lawful acts performed by the employee, contractor, or agent on behalf of the employee, contractor, or agent or associated others in furtherance of other efforts to stop a violation of this chapter”

“all relief necessary to make the employee, contractor, or agent whole. Such relief shall include reinstatement with the same seniority status such employee, contractor, or agent would have had but for the discrimination, two times the amount of back pay, interest on the back pay, and compensation for any special damages sustained as a result of the discrimination, including litigation costs and reasonable attorney fees. An employee, contractor, or agent may bring an action in the appropriate district court of the state for the relief provided in this subsection.”