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A serious breach of a code of conduct – examples

A serious breach of a code of conduct

A serious breach of a code of conduct is considered wrongdoing under the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act.

Among the numerous factors considered to make a finding of a serious breach of a code of conduct, our Office will take into account the following:

  • The breach represents a significant departure from generally accepted practices within the federal public sector.
  • The impact or potential impact of the breach on the organization's employees, clients and the public trust is significant.
  • The alleged wrongdoer occupies a position that is of a high level of seniority or trust within the organization.
  • There are serious errors that are not debatable among reasonable people.
  • The breach of the applicable code(s) of conduct is systemic or endemic.
  • There is a repetitive nature to the breaches of the applicable code(s) of conduct or they have occurred over a significant period of time.
  • There is a significant degree of willfulness or recklessness related to the breach of the applicable code(s) of conduct.
  • The breach poses a serious threat to public confidence in the integrity of the public service, and does not primarily concern a personal matter such as individual harassment complaints or individual workplace grievances.

Find below examples of concluded investigations that led to founded cases of this kind of wrongdoing.

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Learn more about the PSDPA

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