This open letter by Public Interest Commissioner, Marianne Ryan first appeared in the Edmonton Journal and Calgary Herald on December 18, 2020. Marianne Ryan accepted a five-year appointment as Alberta’s second Public Interest Commissioner and ninth Ombudsman in the summer of 2017. Whistleblowing legislation can only work when public servants have confidence they may…
The second scheduled review of the Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act (the Act) is underway in accordance with the mandate of the Alberta Legislature to ensure the law continues to meet the evolving needs of Albertans. The general purpose of whistleblower protection legislation is to create safe environments for employees to bring forth allegations…
Like all organizations in Alberta, the impact to our business from the ongoing situation with COVID-19 has been significant. For the health and well-being of our staff, and to continue to meet our statutory obligations, we have adapted our business practices to serve the public sector remotely. We are confident that the change in how…
A public health emergency was declared on March 17, 2020, as a result of pandemic COVID-19. Designated officers may receive complaints relating to the public health emergency which may fit into a category of “wrongdoing” under PIDA; however, the complaint reporting and investigation process under PIDA was not intended to be a mechanism for reporting…
Effective immediately, the Public Interest Commissioner has made the decision to close her Edmonton office and support prevention of the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). The health and well-being of our staff and visitors to our office remains of primary importance to us. We are closely monitoring this rapidly evolving situation to ensure our operational practices…
Public interest investigations are typically large scale and involve substantial investigative work. They usually involve a significant amount of time and human resources both by the Commissioner’s office and the entity subject of the investigation. This can cause disruption to regular business, and can result in an unjustified negative public perception of an organization where…
Whistleblowing: The Right Stuff Whistleblowing has been defined as a disclosure by an employee (current or former) of illegal, immoral or illegitimate wrongdoing within an organization.[1] A whistleblower under Alberta’s Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act (the Act) makes a disclosure of wrongdoing in good faith in relation to one of the five wrongdoings defined…
Severance agreements are contracts sometimes used to reach an amicable conclusion to an individual’s employment with their employer. Usually a severance agreement provides extended compensation or benefits to the employee beyond the end of their employment, and in exchange, the employer receives a release whereby the employee agrees not to pursue any claims they have…
