The Peace Bridge border crossing, in Fort Erie, Ont., on Feb. 17, 2020. The audit included a survey of employees at both organizations and found that staff had 'serious or significant concerns about organizational culture.'Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
The Canada Border Services Agency and Correctional Service Canada have not done enough to maintain respectful workplaces free of harassment and discrimination, the federal Auditor-General has found.
In his fall audit, Auditor-General Sylvain Ricard said both organizations knew that harassment, discrimination and violence were present in the workplace, but neither developed a strategy to deal with the issues.
The audit included a survey of employees at both organizations and found that staff had “serious or significant concerns about organizational culture, and that they feared reprisal if they made complaints of harassment, discrimination, or workplace violence against fellow employees or supervisors.”
“They also had serious or significant concerns about a lack of civility and respect in their workplaces,” the audit report said.
The report pointed out that employees are less likely to report an issue if they don’t believe their employer is going to take their concern seriously.
The audit recommends both organizations develop and implement comprehensive strategies to address harassment, discrimination, and workplace violence. The CBSA indicated it will develop and implement a strategy by March, 2020, and monitor the results by the following year. The CSC said it will implement a comprehensive strategy on workplace wellness and employee well-being by the end of the year.
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, who oversees the two agencies, said the report identifies ways for both CBSA and the CSC to address challenges so they can “build respectful workplaces and better serve their employees.”
Mr. Blair said both organizations have already taken steps to address the issues in the audit, but noted that there is “more to do.” He said he has asked both the CBSA and the CSC to provide him with updates on their progress.
Anne Kelly, the Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada, said the CSC takes the findings “seriously” and is committed to implementing the Auditor-General’s recommendations.
Ashley Lemire, a spokesperson for the CBSA, said the organization has reviewed the audit, agrees with its findings, and is working on initiatives to improve the workplace.
The audit also found that when employees filed formal complaints of harassment, discrimination and workplace violence, that the organizations did not always tell employees about informal ways to resolve their complaints, such as mediation.
Mr. Ricard recommended the agencies “always” inform employees of informal processes available for resolving complaints. The CBSA agreed, saying it changed its approach last April, while CSC said it has held awareness sessions to inform employees of conflict-resolution mechanisms.
The audit also found that the organizations did not always complete an initial assessment of the complaint before deciding whether to dismiss or accept it. Failure to do an initial assessment can lead to “inconsistencies in the decision-making process and in the treatment of complaints,” the report said.