---
kind: "section"
citation: "29 U.S.C. § 218c"
title: "29"
title_heading: "Labor"
number: "218c"
heading: "Protections for employees"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/29/218c"
units:
  - "Chapter 8 — Fair Labor Standards"
---

# §218c. Protections for employees

- (a) **Prohibition—** No [employer](/usc/29/203.md?p=d) shall discharge or in any manner discriminate against any [employee](/usc/29/203.md?p=e-1) with respect to his or her compensation, terms, conditions, or other privileges of employment because the [employee](/usc/29/203.md?p=e-1) (or an individual acting at the request of the [employee](/usc/29/203.md?p=e-1)) has—
  - (1) received a credit under [section 36B of title 26](/usc/26/36B.md) or a subsidy under [section 18071 of title 42](/usc/42/18071.md);[^1]
  - (2) provided, caused to be provided, or is about to provide or cause to be provided to the [employer](/usc/29/203.md?p=d), the Federal Government, or the attorney general of a [State](/usc/29/203.md?p=c) information relating to any violation of, or any act or omission the [employee](/usc/29/203.md?p=e-1) reasonably believes to be a violation of, any provision of this title[^1] (or an amendment made by this title);[^1]
  - (3) testified or is about to testify in a proceeding concerning such violation;
  - (4) assisted or participated, or is about to assist or participate, in such a proceeding; or
  - (5) objected to, or refused to participate in, any activity, policy, practice, or assigned task that the [employee](/usc/29/203.md?p=e-1) (or other such [person](/usc/29/203.md?p=a)) reasonably believed to be in violation of any provision of this title[^1] (or amendment), or any order, rule, regulation, standard, or ban under this title[^1] (or amendment).
- (b) **Complaint procedure—**
  - (1) **In general—** An [employee](/usc/29/203.md?p=e-1) who believes that he or she has been discharged or otherwise discriminated against by any [employer](/usc/29/203.md?p=d) in violation of this section may seek relief in accordance with the procedures, notifications, burdens of proof, remedies, and statutes of limitation set forth in [section 2087(b) of title 15](/usc/15/2087.md?p=b).
  - (2) **No limitation on rights—** Nothing in this section shall be deemed to diminish the rights, privileges, or remedies of any [employee](/usc/29/203.md?p=e-1) under any Federal or [State](/usc/29/203.md?p=c) law or under any collective bargaining agreement. The rights and remedies in this section may not be waived by any agreement, policy, form, or condition of employment.

## Footnotes

[^1]: See References in Text note below.

## Source credit

(June 25, 1938, ch. 676, § 18C, as added Pub. L. 111–148, title I, § 1558, Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 261.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 18071 of title 42, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), was in the original “section 1402 of this Act”, and was translated as meaning section 1402 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which is classified to section 18071 of title 42, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

This title, referred to in subsec. (a)(2), (5), probably means title I of Pub. L. 111–148, Mar. 23, 2011, 124 Stat. 130. For complete classification of title I to the Code, see Tables.

Section 2087(b) of title 15, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), was in the original “section 2807(b) of title 15”, and probably should have read “section 40(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act”, which is classified to section 2087(b) of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.