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Reprisal protection - video with transcription

Text version of the video statement

Hello,

A reprisal may be any adverse action taken against you because you reported wrongdoing or cooperated in an investigation into an allegation of wrongdoing.

The Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act outlines protections against reprisal for federal public servants, including members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and employees of federal Crown corporations.

Reprisals can come in many forms and may not always be obvious. Examples outlined in the Act include:

  • A disciplinary measure;
  • The demotion of a public servant;
  • The termination of employment of the public servant, including, in the case of a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, a discharge or dismissal;
  • Any measure that adversely affects the employment or working conditions of the public servant;
  • And even a threat to take any of those measures.

To be protected under the Act three criteria must be met:

  1. You have reported wrongdoing or participated in an investigation. 
    That means that you have either reported alleged wrongdoing to your supervisor, to a Senior Officer in your organization, or to our Office. Alternatively, you may have reported wrongdoing during a Parliamentary proceeding or a procedure established under another Act of Parliament, or have been lawfully required to report wrongdoing. 
    Please note that reporting wrongdoing to the media or through social media is usually not considered for protection against reprisal.
  2. At the time you reported wrongdoing or participated in an investigation, you were a federal public servant. Members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and employees of federal Crown corporations are included.
  3. The adverse action must have been taken against you because you reported wrongdoing or participated in an investigation.

Our Office is the only organization that investigates reprisal complaints under the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act. The Commissioner must decide whether to investigate within 15 days of your complaint being deemed complete.

Thanks for your interest in the Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada.

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