Public Sector Integrity Commissioner Finds Wrongdoing at Correctional Service of Canada

News Release Type
News Releases
Publication Date

For immediate release

 

Ottawa, March 20, 2018 – The Public Sector Integrity Commissioner, Joe Friday, tabled a case report in Parliament today regarding two Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) executives who committed gross mismanagement and a serious breach of the CSC Code of Discipline and of the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector.

As a result of a whistleblower coming forward, Commissioner Friday found that Ms. Brigitte de Blois, a Director at CSC, demonstrated abusive behaviour towards several of her employees. She was known to scream at them, to make insulting and derogatory comments and to display aggressive conduct regularly.

Commissioner Friday also found that Assistant Commissioner Larry Motiuk failed to address the internal allegations made against the Director. Furthermore, after receiving first-hand accounts of abusive behaviour by the Director, he minimized the importance of these allegations by withholding information about other incidents involving Ms. de Blois. In doing so, he failed in his duty to take appropriate action.

“While the Director engaged in unacceptable behaviour towards her employees,” Commissioner Friday stated, “in matters such as these, senior management has specific responsibilities and a higher duty to protect and respond to the needs of all those who have been harmed or otherwise adversely affected by abusive behaviour in the workplace.”

(You can view Commissioner Friday’s video statement on YouTube.)

Commissioner Friday is satisfied with CSC’s responses to his three recommendations and the measures taken to date to address the wrongdoing he identified in this Case Report.

“Canadians expect that the actions of all federal employees, especially that of senior executives, reflect the values of the public service,” Commissioner Friday added. “This report can help to highlight the importance of ensuring a healthy and respectful workplace.”

Please consult the case report for further details.

 

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For more information, contact:

Edith Lachapelle
Manager, Communications
Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada
613-946-2138 or 613-294-1678
Lachapelle.Edith@psic-ispc.gc.ca