Acts of Founded Wrongdoing
In January 2023, the Senior Officer for Internal Disclosure (SOID) at the Department of the Environment received a disclosure pertaining to alleged wrongdoing by an executive. Specifically, the following allegation was made: · A serious breach of the departmental Code of Values and Ethics – it was alleged that the executive engaged in belittling and humiliating behaviours that constitute wrongdoing under the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (PSDPA). The subsequent investigation mandated by the SOID concluded that the actions of the executive represent wrongdoing under the PSDPA; through both specific actions and a general management style, the SOID found that the executive had unreasonable expectations and created difficult working conditions for some staff.
The executive did not participate in the investigation and left the public service prior to the conclusion of the investigation. The SOID has informed management of the findings of the investigation. Though no systemic factors were found during the investigation, department-wide prevention efforts for these types of behaviours continue to be well underway. These include concrete corporate commitments for executives related to values and ethics, and how we deliver as public servants, including a focus on employee wellness.