The Audit Services Division

Internal Disclosure

• Internal Disclosure for Employees
• Internal Disclosure for Supervisors
• Disclosure of Founded Cases of Wrongdoing.
  

Internal Disclosure for Employees

The Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act came into force on April 15, 2007.

The purpose of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act is to encourage employees in the public sector to come forward and disclose information if they have reason to believe that wrongdoing has been committed or is about to be committed in the workplace.

The law provides that no reprisal can be made against a public servant if they do come forward, and it also provides a fair and objective process for those who are accused of wrongdoing. As such, the new legislation represents an important step in supporting ethical practices in the federal workforce and increasing confidence in government institutions.

If you feel that wrongdoing has been committed or is about to be committed, I encourage you to use the provisions in the Act to disclose information about such wrongdoing and to feel protected in doing so. The Act allows you to make a disclosure to your supervisor, to the designated Senior Officer for the Agency, or directly to the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner, an independent Agent of Parliament.

I am the designated Senior Officer for disclosures for the Public Health Agency of Canada. I will be pleased to answer any questions you may have about the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act and its implementation. I may be reached, in confidence, by phone at (613) 960-1778, in person (244B, 130 Colonnade) or by email at daniel.surprenant@phac-aspc.gc.ca.

The Public Sector Integrity Commissioner may be reached at (613) 941-6400 or toll-free at 1-866-941-6400.

I also encourage you to visit the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer
dedicated to the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act. The site offers online resources for employees and supervisors, including an overview of the Act and frequently asked questions. Supervisors have a key role in the implementation of the Act and I would encourage all supervisors to review the information for supervisors on this site.

I will continue to provide you with updates on the implementation of the Act.

Daniel Surprenant
A/Chief Audit Executive
Public Health Agency of Canada

Internal Disclosure for Supervisors

Fellow managers and supervisors,

Following the message to all staff on April 24, 2007, about the new Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, I would encourage you to familiarize yourselves with the information for supervisors offered by the Public Service Agency of Canada.

I would also urge you to familiarize yourselves with the information for employees and share the salient points to your staff during unit or division meetings. Employee Information Research has shown that PHAC employees prefer to receive internal communications from their direct supervisor or manager in face-to-face meetings.

Do not hesitate to contact me, in confidence, by phone at (613)-996-1778, in person (244B, 130 Colonnade) or by email at daniel.surprenant@phac-aspc.gc.ca.

With kind regards,

Daniel Surprenant
A/Chief Audit Executive

Disclosure of Founded Cases of Wrongdoing

The Public Health Agency of Canada is committed to strengthening the integrity of the federal public service by fostering an environment in which employees may disclose possible wrongdoing, and be protected from reprisal for having made such a disclosure.

The goal of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (PSDPA), which came into force on April 15, 2007, is not only to provide direction as to what constitutes wrongdoing in a federal government organization but also to encourage public servants to come forward if they have reason to believe that serious wrongdoing has taken place. When wrongdoing is reported to a manager or to the department's Internal Disclosure Office, an investigation takes place.
The Canada Public Service Agency web site contains more information on the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act.

The cases described below are being proactively disclosed by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

• 2010
• 2009