The Public Servants Disclosure
Protection Act at
Insert the name of your organization here
Today’s Presentation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Overview of the PSDPA
What is wrongdoing?
Confidentiality
Role of Senior Officer
Role of supervisors
Role of employees
Intended Results
What I’m doing
Awareness activities
2
Overview of the Public Servants
Disclosure Protection Act
The purpose of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act
(PSDPA) is:
• To encourage employees in the public sector to come
forward if they have reason to believe that serious
wrongdoing has taken place
• To provide protection to them against reprisal when
they do so
It also provides a fair and objective process for those
against whom allegations are made
3
What is Wrongdoing?
Wrongdoing includes any of the following:
•
•
•
•
•
breaking laws or regulations;
misusing public funds or assets;
gross mismanagement;
a serious breach of a code of conduct;
an act or omission that endangers the life, health and safety
of Canadians or the environment; or
• directing someone else to do these things.
4
Making a Disclosure
If you have questions or concerns, or wish to disclose
a possible wrongdoing, you can bring the matter to either:
1. Your immediate supervisor;
2. Your organization Senior Officer for Disclosure,
(insert his/her name here);
3. The Public Sector Integrity Commissioner
(www.psic-ispc.gc.ca).
5
Confidentiality and the
Disclosure Process
• Everyone involved in a disclosure and its investigation
must make every effort to maintain the confidentiality of
information related to the matter.
• This includes refraining from discussing any disclosure or
the fact they are involved with it, except when required as
part of an investigation.
• All files must be maintained separately, under the control
of the Senior Officer for Disclosure
• Information collected in relation to a disclosure cannot be
released under either the Access to Information Act or the
Privacy Act.
6
Role of the Senior Officer
• Review disclosures to determine if there are sufficient
grounds to investigate.
• Inform the employee(s) in writing if the Senior Officer will
proceed further.
• Ensure that the rights of all those involved are respected
during an investigation.
• Review the results of the investigation, prepare
recommendations for action and report these directly to
the (specify: President, Minister, other…).
• Refer cases concerning criminal activity to the
appropriate law enforcement authority.
7
Role of Supervisors
As a supervisor, you need to be aware of your roles and
responsibilities to:
• Show visible leadership in fostering an ethical culture of right-doing.
• Inform employees about the PSDPA, their options for making
disclosures, the protection the PSDPA provides and where to go if they
need more information.
• Receive disclosures of wrongdoing from employees.
• Protect the identity of those involved in the disclosure process to the
extent possible.
• Protect from reprisal the employee who discloses wrongdoing or who
is involved in a disclosure investigation.
8
Role of Employees
•
•
•
•
•
Be familiar with the main provisions of the Act – its
mechanisms for disclosure, its confidentiality provisions,
and its reprisal protection measures.
Know what constitutes wrongdoing under the Act.
Understand your choices in making a protected
disclosure.
Know what to do if you believe you are the target of a
reprisal.
Know where to get related information and advice.
9
Intended Results
• Enhanced ability for organizations to identify and resolve
disclosures and prevent reprisals;
• Employees who feel supported and protected from
reprisals when they disclose a wrongdoing;
• Leaders who foster and model ethical leadership and
inspire employees to do the right thing;
• A sustained and supported ethical culture in a workplace of
choice; and
• Increased public trust and confidence in public sector
organizations.
10
What I do as
your Senior Officer for Disclosure
• Implementation of disclosure procedures in the
organization.
• Awareness-building on the PSDPA and on the process
in place in the organization.
• Informing supervisors of their role and
responsibilities.
•In this section, insert specifics, e.g. special phone number in
place without call display, a filing cabinet, only accessible to
me to keep disclosure information locked and separate from
other files.
11
Informing Employees Awareness Activities
Activity/Product
Timeline
In this section, list the awareness activities you have planned
to inform employees.
For example:
•Announcement/article in your internal newsletter
•Presentations to branch management committees / Team
meetings
•Brown bag information session
•…
12