Acts of Founded Wrongdoing
The Global Affairs Canada Senior Officer for Internal Disclosure (SOID) received a disclosure of wrongdoing under the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (PSDPA) alleging wrongdoing under section 8 (e) a serious breach of a Code of Conduct. The investigation concluded that an executive in one of Canada’s missions abroad made inappropriate sexual oriented comments to employees at the mission. The investigation also found that the executive made unwanted sexual advances, inappropriate gestures, and inappropriately stared at employees. The executive did not demonstrate the judgment and leadership expected from a person in a position of authority within the organization. These actions undermined the integrity of the public service and constitute a serious breach of the Departmental Value and Ethics Code as it relates to the values of Respect for people and Integrity, and to the Departmental Code of Conduct for Canadian Representatives Abroad.
The executive resigned before the conclusion of the investigation. The Senior Officer for Internal Disclosure (SOID) recommended that the delegated manager consults the Labour Relations division about the possibility of taking disciplinary and administrative actions against the executive such as the review and reassessment of their latest performance assessments. The SOID also recommended that relevant information be shared with the Personnel Security division to determine whether the executive’s security clearance should be reviewed.