Making a Disclosure

If you have reason to believe that wrongdoing has or is about to take place in the workplace, you are encouraged to bring it to the attention of your supervisor, the Senior Disclosure Officer, or the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner. As well, the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (PSDPA) and the ESDC Code of Conduct provide mechanisms for employees to make disclosures in the public interest if they can show that wrongdoing or fraud has been or is about to be committed. Employees can assume that they will be protected from reprisals and fraud when they make disclosures or take part in investigations under the PSDPA.

ESDC’s Senior Disclosure Officer

 

Ms. Mary Crescenzi, ADM of the Integrity Services Branch at Service Canada, is the Senior Disclosure Officer responsible for the implementation of the Act at Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), Labour Program, and Service Canada. Her role is to:

  • Receive and investigate disclosures of wrongdoing that affect the public interest.
  • Make recommendations for corrective action to the Deputy Ministers, when wrongdoing is found.
  • Ensure the confidentiality of all communications and securely handle messages to protect the identity of the parties to the disclosure.
  • Refer cases of personal interest to the appropriate recourse mechanisms.

Meet the Senior Disclosure Officer.

Public Sector Integrity Commissioner

 

Joe Friday is the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner, an Agent of Parliament. His role is to:

  • Accept disclosures of wrongdoing from public servants and members of the public and address complaints of reprisal.

The Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner has released a report, the Deloitte Review, of the file review process for the disclosure of wrongdoings of all closed files from April 2007 to December 20, 2010. The purpose of the review was to determine whether disclosures and alleged reprisal complaints were dealt with in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act. You may wish to consult the Commissioner's Web site regularly for information on the next steps taken by the Office with regard to this review.

The Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner offers the How Am I Protected guide. They also offer a guide to answer Five Questions about Whistleblowing.

Six Questions about Blowing the Whistle

Transcript

Transcript–Six Questions about Blowing the Whistle

When you see something that seems wrong at work, what can you do?

The Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act established the federal whistleblowing regime as well as the Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner.

Before making a protected disclosure, you need to ask: What constitutes wrongdoing in the federal public sector?

If you're not sure, ask yourself: Is this is in the public interest? Or is it something that, if proven, could affect confidence in the public service?

Who handles disclosures of wrongdoing?

The choice is yours and the process is strictly confidential. You can either make your disclosure to us or to the senior officer responsible for internal disclosures in your organization or to your manager.

What happens after you've submitted a disclosure to us?

We will analyse the matter brought forward and may contact you for further information, then determine if there are sufficient grounds to launch an investigation. No one else is contacted at this stage of the process.

How long does this process take?

The timeframe of the disclosure process depends on a few factors. We aim to make a decision to investigate within 90 days and to complete investigations within a year.

What happens if the Commissioner finds wrongdoing?

The discloser, those found to have committed the wrongdoing and the organization's chief executive will be informed in writing. A Case Report will then be tabled in Parliament with recommendations to address the wrongdoing and prevent it from happening again.

What if your concern does not meet the definition of wrongdoing?

There are cases where other recourse mechanisms might be more appropriate to resolve the problem such as staffing concerns, labour relations issues or personal conflicts.

You can call us if you have questions or would like to make a disclosure of wrongdoing.

Tell us. You are protected.