---
kind: "section"
citation: "5 U.S.C. § 6385"
title: "5"
title_heading: "Government Organization and Employees"
number: "6385"
heading: "Prohibition of coercion"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/5/6385"
units:
  - "Part III — Employees"
  - "Subpart E — Attendance and Leave"
  - "Chapter 63 — Leave"
  - "Subchapter V — Family and Medical Leave"
---

# §6385. Prohibition of coercion

- (a) An [employee](/usc/5/6381.md?p=1) shall not directly or indirectly intimidate, threaten, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any other [employee](/usc/5/6381.md?p=1) for the purpose of interfering with the exercise of any rights which such other [employee](/usc/5/6381.md?p=1) may have under this subchapter.
- (b) For the purpose of this section—
  - (1) the term “intimidate, threaten, or coerce” includes promising to confer or conferring any benefit (such as appointment, promotion, or compensation), or taking or threatening to take any reprisal (such as deprivation of appointment, promotion, or compensation); and
  - (2) the term “[employee](/usc/5/6381.md?p=1)” means any “[employee](/usc/5/6381.md?p=1)”, as defined by section 2105.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 103–3, title II, § 201(a)(1), Feb. 5, 1993, 107 Stat. 22.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective 6 months after Feb. 5, 1993, see section 405(b)(1) of Pub. L. 103–3, set out as a note under section 2601 of Title 29, Labor.