Ensure Compliance with Special Counsel Office Regulations Through Real-Time Monitoring
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Understanding the U.S. Office of Special Counsel
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the federal merit system. This agency derives its authority from four pivotal statutes: the Civil Service Reform Act, the Whistleblower Protection Act, the Hatch Act, and the Uniformed Services Employment & Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).
Mission and Functions
The OSC's primary mission is to protect federal employees and applicants from prohibited personnel practices (PPPs), with a strong emphasis on safeguarding whistleblowers who expose federal wrongdoing. The OSC handles:
- Investigations and Prosecutions: They investigate allegations of PPPs and prosecute cases with the aim of obtaining corrective action, such as back pay or reinstatement, for those harmed by such practices.
- Whistleblower Protections: The OSC provides a secure and confidential channel for federal workers to report violations including gross mismanagement, waste of funds, abuse of authority, or threats to public safety.
- Hatch Act Enforcement: This involves advising on and enforcing legal restrictions on political activity by federal employees.
- Veterans' Employment Rights: The OSC ensures that veterans' rights concerning civil employment and reemployment are protected under USERRA.
Why Monitoring Matters
For compliance officers, HR managers, government contractors, and risk managers, staying updated with OSC activities is crucial. Missteps in compliance can lead to significant legal and financial penalties, especially where whistleblower protections or the Hatch Act are concerned.
Recent Trends and Regulatory Impacts
Increased scrutiny on workplace misconduct and whistleblower protections has intensified the need for government agencies and contractors to remain vigilant. The OSC has expanded its reach and enforcement efforts, reflecting broader trends towards accountability and transparency within federal operations.
Industries and Interest Groups Benefiting from OSC Updates
- Federal Agencies: Need to ensure they are not breaching federal employment regulations and are upholding the merit system principles.
- Defense Contractors: They must comply with federal whistleblower protection to secure contracts and protect their workforce.
- Public Sector HR Departments: Must navigate complex employment laws and ensure protections for federal workers are upheld.
How AI-Powered Monitoring Enhances Compliance
With the rapid changes in the regulatory landscape, manual tracking of the OSC's activities can be inefficient and prone to oversight. AI-powered monitoring fills this gap by:
- Providing Instant Alerts: Our service, FedMonitor, delivers real-time alerts to keep you informed on pertinent OSC updates, whether they're rules, notices, or open comment periods.
- Tailored Relevance: Using AI algorithms, we filter updates to ensure they align with your specific industry or role requirements, ensuring you only receive what's truly relevant.
- Seamless Integration: Stay connected wherever you are—FedMonitor integrates with popular platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Salesforce, as well as offers SMS and email notifications for immediate updates when they matter most.
By leveraging FedMonitor's AI-driven monitoring, compliance becomes a streamlined process that not only saves time but also ensures your organization remains compliant with federal regulations. Take control of your regulatory landscape and safeguard against potential legal pitfalls by signing up today. Learn More about our service or Contact Us for assistance tailored to your needs.
Agency Details
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Status:
Active
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is described as actively carrying out its mission to protect federal employees from prohibited personnel practices, particularly against whistleblowers. It continues to engage in investigations, prosecutions, and seeks remedies through established legal mechanisms, indicating that it is currently operational and functional.
- Acronym: OSC
- Website: Visit
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Latest Documents
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The U.S. Office of Special Counsel is seeking approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the reinstatement of an expired information collection request (ICR) under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). OSC is statutorily required to con...
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Notice | Apr 09, 2025 |
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In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel is seeking public comment on an extension of a currently approved information collection activity for its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Program. The ADR...
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Notice | Apr 09, 2025 |
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In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) implementing regulations, and the Government Paperwork Elimination Act, OSC obtained approval from OMB on September 18, 2017, for a new, dynamic electronic...
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Notice | Dec 09, 2022 |
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The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) revised its regulations to update the information on filing of complaints and disclosures with OSC, to update the prohibited personnel practice provisions, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provisions, Privacy...
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Rule | Oct 19, 2022 |
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The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), seeks approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for use of two surveys used by OSC's Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) program to assess its efficacy and seek ways to improve the process: An in...
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Notice | Feb 17, 2022 |
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The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) proposes to revise its regulations regarding the filing of complaints and disclosures with OSC, to update the prohibited personnel practice provisions, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provisions, Privacy Act...
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Proposed Rule | Feb 01, 2022 |
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The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) seeks, in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, to establish a new system of records titled, "Office of Special Counsel, OSC-4, Reasonable Accommodation Records." This system of records allows OSC to collec...
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Notice | Dec 22, 2021 |
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The U.S. Office of Special Counsel, with the concurrence of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE), is finalizing a regulation for OSC employees that supplements the executive branch Standards of Ethical Conduct issued by OGE. The supplemental re...
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Rule | Jun 04, 2021 |
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The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), seeks approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for use of a modified survey that differs only slightly from the most recently approved information collection, OSC's 2020 Annual Survey. By statu...
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Notice | Feb 04, 2021 |
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The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), seeks approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for use of a survey that differs only slightly from previously approved information collections. OSC is requesting emergency approval for the annu...
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Notice | Aug 21, 2020 |
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The U.S. Office of Special Counsel, with the concurrence of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE), proposes a regulation for OSC employees that supplements the executive branch Standards of Ethical Conduct issued by OGE. The supplemental regulat...
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Proposed Rule | Jul 24, 2020 |
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OSC is providing 30 additional days for individuals to comment on OSC Form-14, the form used to file complaints and disclosures with OSC.
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Notice | Jan 31, 2020 |
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In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) implementing regulations, and the Government Paperwork Elimination Act, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is seeking comments on renewal of OMB's app...
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Notice | Oct 15, 2019 |
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The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) seeks approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for use of a 2019 survey that differs slightly in process and timing from a previously approved information collection, OSC's annual survey. The pr...
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Notice | Jul 30, 2019 |
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The U.S. Office of Special Counsel asked the Office of Management and Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for emergency processing of an updated, consolidated complaint and disclosure form, Form 14, to be used for filing prohibited...
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Notice | Jul 29, 2019 |
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On June 9, 2017, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) published a final rule revising its regulations regarding the filing of complaints and disclosures with OSC, and updated OSC's prohibited personnel practice provisions. The rule's effective da...
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Rule | Jul 24, 2019 |
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In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, and implementing regulations at 5 CFR part 1320, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC), is requesting approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for use of a previously approved...
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Notice | Dec 07, 2017 |
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This system of records contains the U.S. Office of Special Counsel's (OSC) case file and other records related to the performance of our statutory duties, including: Investigating or reviewing allegations of wrongdoing; pursuing corrective action and...
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Notice | Sep 27, 2017 |
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This document delays the effective date of the final rule and information collection activity published in the June 9, 2017 issue of the Federal Register. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) will issue a new effective date in due course.
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Rule | Jul 14, 2017 |
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This final rule revises the U.S. Office of Special Counsel's (OSC's) regulations regarding the filing of complaints and disclosures with OSC, and updates OSC's prohibited personnel practice provisions. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act o...
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Rule | Jun 09, 2017 |
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