Reporting Wrongdoing

ETHICS OFFICER - REPORTING WRONGDOING

The process for reporting wrongdoing in the public service is intended for employees of the Nunavut public service.  It allows employees to balance their duties of confidentiality, impartiality and loyalty with their duty to protect the public from illegal, corrupt or inappropriate behaviour by public servants.

Some specific inclusions and exclusions for who is considered an employee of the Nunavut public service can be found in Schedules A and B of The Public Service Act.

How do I report wrongdoing?

First step

If you have reasonable grounds to believe that wrongdoing has occurred, you must first make reasonable efforts to report it to appropriate authorities in the public service.  This can include:

• Your senior manager
• Your Deputy Minister or deputy head
• The Deputy Minister of Finance
• Any other Deputy Minister who you think is appropriate

You may report the wrongdoing or a potential wrongdoing to any other person if you have reasonable grounds to believe that doing so is necessary to prevent imminent danger to the life, health or safety of a person or imminent danger to property or the environment.

Second step

If, after 30 days of reporting the wrongdoing,  you don't think that the authorities in the public service have taken reasonable steps to investigate and correct it, you may then report it to any or all of the following persons:

• Your Deputy Minister or deputy head
• The Deputy Minister of Finance
• Any other Deputy Minister who you think is appropriate
• The Ethics Officer
• A police or law enforcement agency if an offence has been committed