Seattle Whistleblower Code

In 1990, the City's Personnel Ordinance was amended to give employees the right to report an "improper governmental action" to an "auditing official," another government official or a member of the public, to cooperate in an investigation, and to testify in a proceeding thereon, and to be protected from "retaliatory action" for doing so. (Each term in quotation marks is defined in Section 4.20.850.) The Whistleblower Protection Code is Subchapter III of the Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) chapter on compensation and working conditions.

The Whistleblower Protection Code, SMC 4.20.800 thru 4.20.860, is on the City Clerk's web site:

Seattle Whistleblower Protection Code, SMC 4.20.800 thru 4.20.860

See Whistleblower Procedures and Frequently Asked Questions, or download the Whistleblower Protection Code brochure for a summary of the code's provisions.