Whistleblower Reporting for Bank Employees

How May a Current or Former Employee File a Whistleblower Report?

If you are a current or former employee at an OCC supervised institution (i.e., a national bank, a federal savings association, or a federal branch or agency of a foreign bank) and wish to make the OCC aware of potential misconduct or other concerns you have involving that institution or any of its employees, you may call the OCC at 800-613-6743.

What Should I Report?

Examples of activities that should be reported to the OCC by current or former employees of national banks, federal savings associations, or federal branches or agencies of foreign banks could include the following:

• A national bank is violating the law, as it is making loans in excess of its legal lending limit.
• A federal savings association’s BSA program has significant shortcomings.
• A federal savings association has significant numbers of problem loans that are not being properly reported.
• A federal branch or agency of a foreign bank is not complying with a written agreement that it entered into with the OCC.
• A federal branch or agency of a foreign bank is not complying with requirements applicable to its fiduciary activities.
• A federal branch or agency of a foreign bank  lacks an effective internal audit program.
• A national bank or federal savings association employee is stealing money from customer accounts or is helping others steal from the bank or savings association.
• A national bank or federal savings association employee is approving loans to persons with whom they have an undisclosed business relationship.

What Happens Next?

The OCC reviews every submission it receives from current or former employees of the institutions we supervise.

Can I Remain Anonymous?

You can elect to remain anonymous, or you can provide the OCC with your contact information. Please note the OCC will not be able to contact anonymous parties to obtain more information, which could impede the investigation of your concerns.

Am I Entitled to Protections, or to an Award?

The Depository Institution Employee Protection Remedy, found at 12 U.S.C § 1831j, provides some protections to current or former employees of “insured depository institutions,” including national banks and federal savings associations, from retaliation if they report suspected wrongdoing to a federal banking agency, such as the OCC. The protections provided by this statute are limited. The OCC cannot make determinations regarding whether or not an employee who provides information to the OCC about possible wrongdoing by a national bank or federal saving association, or by one of its employees, qualifies for those protections. You may wish to consult with an attorney, who can advise you regarding your legal rights, and how best to protect your rights.

While the OCC cannot advise you regarding your legal rights as a whistleblower, the agency does take seriously claims of retaliation against whistleblowers, and encourages you to report any claim of retaliation to the OCC.

The OCC does not pay awards to employees for providing information to the agency regarding possible wrongdoing by a national bank, a federal savings association, or a federal branch or agency of a foreign bank, or by one of their employees.

Other Things to Know as a Whistleblower

All of the OCC’s investigations are confidential. That means that the OCC cannot provide any information to you regarding your matter, such as steps we have taken to investigate your concerns, or the status of your matter.

The OCC requests that your submission to this agency includes as much specific information as possible. For example, it is helpful if you can identify any individuals at the national bank, federal savings association, or federal branch or agency of a foreign bank, who are involved in the concerning activity you are reporting, provide any documents or materials already in your possession that address that activity, and provide specific examples of the concerning activity that you personally have observed.