Whistleblower Complaint

Whistleblowers

If the situation is an immediate safety threat, please call 911.

If you work for the company or organization you're submitting a complaint about (as an employee, contractor, or subcontractor), you can report violations of the California Public Utilities Code, state or Federal regulations, Commission orders, and other California safety and consumer protection laws in the following ways:

• File a Whistleblower Complaint Online
• Call the whistleblower hotline at 1-800-649-7570

Anyone who is not an employee, contractor, or subcontractor of the company or organization being complained about should submit a complaint by following the directory on this page. 

How can a whistleblower help support their claim?

Providing your contact information will help our investigators in their work.  If you remain anonymous, it is especially important to include evidence in the form of pictures, documents, emails, or other materials. See below for more information on anonymity and confidentiality. 

What is a whistleblower?

A whistleblower is an employee, contractor, or subcontractor of a company regulated by the CPUC who reports suspected unsafe, unlawful, or dishonest activity by their employer. Whistleblowers may report their claims internally to their company’s upper management or ethics officer or to regulators at the CPUC. A whistleblower’s insider knowledge of the suspected unlawful or dishonest activity may help the CPUC discover something we would otherwise not know. Whistleblowers can play a valuable role in helping the CPUC get the evidence needed to support a claim.

Can a whistleblower submit an anonymous complaint?

Yes.  A whistleblower can remain anonymous.  However, we may need your contact information for follow-up questions, especially if you can provide documentation related to the suspected unlawful activity. If the initial information you provide is insufficient for a deeper investigation and you choose not to provide your contact details, it may limit our ability to investigate.

Can a whistleblower request that their identity remain confidential?

Yes.  However, while we strive to protect your identity, we do not have the final say. In some cases a Commission action or a court may determine that revealing your identity is in the public interest.

Are whistleblowers protected by the law?

Yes. California Labor Code Section 1102.5(b) protects you from retaliation by your employer if you have reasonable cause to believe that the information reveals a violation of or noncompliance with state or Federal statute, rules, or regulations. Whistleblower laws generally do not protect you:

• When your claims involve personal matters rather than public concern;
• If your complaint breaks the confidentiality of lawyer-client privilege (Labor Code section 1102.5(g));
• If you reveal a trade secret.

Government Code Section 12653 reads, in part, “No employer shall discharge, demote, suspend, threaten, harass, deny promotion to, or in any other manner discriminate against an employee because of lawful acts in disclosing information to a government agency.”

We support these protections and expect the companies we regulate to obey the law. Although these laws are intended to protect you, you may still face the risk of retaliation. You may have to dedicate your personal time and money to hire an attorney to file a lawsuit for retaliation.

As a potential whistleblower, you should determine if your employer has set up internal procedures to handle whistleblower claims. If so, you should review these procedures to figure out how to proceed.

Whom should a whistleblower contact?

You can contact us by reporting online or by phone (1-800-649-7570). Please be ready to give enough information to support your claims of improper or unlawful behavior. If you do not provide enough information we will not be able to help you in your case.

If the situation poses an immediate safety threat, please call 911!

What happens when a whistleblower phones the Public Utilities Commission?

When you call us at 1-800-649-7570, you will hear a recording that directs you through a series of options. Depending on what number you press, you can get routed to a Safety Hotline, a Fraud Hotline, or other connections if you have an issue that is neither fraud- nor safety-related. 

What is the role of the Public Utilities Commission?

We regulate privately owned electric, natural gas, phone, water, railroad, rail transit, and passenger transportation companies. We serve the public interest by protecting consumers and ensuring that utility services and infrastructure are safe, reliable, and available at reasonable rates, with a commitment to environmental improvement and a healthy California economy. We make sure regulated companies follow the California Public Utilities Code, regulations, and other California laws involving safety and consumer protection. Our investigations include safety issues, misrepresentations or dishonesty, consumer fraud and marketing abuses, and tax or rule violations.