Annex C – Formal reporting mechanism points of contact

Formal reporting mechanisms and their points of contact are identified below. Detailed descriptions follow.

Harassment and Violence Prevention Program

Values and Ethics Office

Labour Relations

Corporate Security

Please refer to the following information for more details on each of the points of contact.

Harassment and Violence Prevention Program

The Harassment and Violence Prevention Program (HVP) offers support and resources to all employees who are affected by workplace harassment and violence.

In accordance with the CLC, Part II – Occupational Health and Safety, federally regulated employers, including the public service, must protect the health and safety of their employees. In the federal public service, this falls under the responsibility of each deputy head as the employer. At Justice Canada, this responsibility and the functional authority lies with the Deputy Minister. However, every employee within Justice Canada has a role to play in preventing workplace harassment and violence.

The implementation of related Departmental Policy on Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention aims to:

  1. prevent work place harassment and violence from happening
  2. respond to situations in which harassment or violence have occurred
  3. following a notice of occurrence, put in place measures to prevent future occurrences
  4. support those employees who have experienced harassment and violence in the work place

HVP is responsible for:

For more information about the departmental policy and resolution process, tools, support and resources available, contact: respect@justice.gc.ca.

Values and Ethics Office

The Values and Ethics Office has the responsibility to create awareness and promote the Values and Ethics Code of the Department of Justice (the Code).

Investigations for breaches under the Code are conducted by management with the support of Labour Relations. The Values and Ethics Office is only involved in cases where there is a need for functional expertise in relation to a conflict of interest issue, in relation to an employee not meeting their Duty of Loyalty, or similar requirements.

For general information about values and ethics, contact: ve@justice.gc.ca.

Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act

The Values and Ethics Office also supports the Department’s Senior Officer for Internal Disclosure of wrongdoing in assessing possible wrongdoing and conducting investigations into disclosures of wrongdoing under the PSDPA, where appropriate.

The PSDPA gives federal public service employees and others a secure and confidential process for disclosing wrongdoing in the workplace as well as protection from acts of reprisal. It is part of the Government of Canada’s ongoing commitment to promoting ethical practices in the public sector.

Employees may make a protected disclosure to their supervisor, the designated Senior Officer for Internal Disclosure of wrongdoing, or the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner.

The Values and Ethics Office’s mandate as it relates to the PSDPA is as follows:

For more information, please contact: jus.internal_disclosure.divulgation_interne@justice.gc.ca

Labour Relations Division

The mandate of the Labour Relations Division (LR) is to promote harmonious and productive workplace relations by providing expert advice and assistance to managers on employment and employee relations matters. LR provides strategic advice and guidance to managers to foster harmonious and productive working relationships that support organizational goals. Its services include supporting union-management consultations and negotiations, managing grievances, interpreting collective agreements, and developing or advising on workplace policies, directives, and tools.

One of LR’s services is to provide guidance and advice to managers when an administrative investigation or fact-finding inquiry into allegations of misconduct are warranted or required. This includes ensuring that managers address breaches or violations of a policy or code, acts of insubordination, breaches of trust or any other unacceptable behaviour, including breaches of the Departmental Values and Ethics Code.

When a manager becomes aware of potential misconduct, they consult with LR to explore available options to address and resolve matters. If an administrative investigation is necessary, LR supports the delegated manager investigating the matter by assessing the circumstances, interpreting terms and conditions of employment, researching jurisprudence, and advising on investigative steps. This includes promoting due diligence, procedural fairness, and timely communications.

An employee under investigation is notified of the allegations and informed of the rights afforded and responsibilities involved in accordance with policies and terms and conditions of employment, such as a collective agreement, for example.

Where misconduct or a breach of employer policy is deemed to have occurred, the manager may implement corrective measures to address the matter effectively. This may include, but is not limited to, providing additional training, clarifying expectations and acceptable behaviours, or issuing formal discipline, such as an oral or written reprimand, a suspension without pay, or a termination of employment. To that end, LR is responsible for assisting delegated managers to ensure that the discipline process is fair and transparent, and in accordance with the applicable policies and terms and conditions of employment.

For more information, please contact: LR-RT@justice.gc.ca.

Corporate Security Division

Corporate Security is under the functional authority of the Chief Security Officer (CSO) supported by the Safety, Security and Emergency Management Division (SSEMD) and by IT Security. The SSEMD conducts investigations and fact-findings into employees’ security screening status (reliability or security clearance) when a review for cause is needed. The Division also investigates incidents related to security of information, national security, reliability issues, and possible insider threats.

IT Security conducts investigations into the misuse of the Department’s electronic network and associated devices. It is also responsible for helping with investigations conducted by other investigative bodies mentioned in this report. The unit gathers and processes electronic information by conducting forensic analysis once the Chief Security Officer grants a mandate.

Corporate Security also supports investigations into potential fraud and financial misconduct.

For more information, please contact: CorporateSecurity-SecuriteCorporative@justice.gc.ca