May92025

New Complaint Checker Makes it Easier to Assess and Report Workplace Wrongdoing. 

Earlier this year, the Public Interest Commissioner’s office reported that, while the majority of Alberta’s public sector employees are willing to report a workplace wrongdoing, most don’t know how to file a complaint and most don’t know their protections. One barrier to knowing how to file a complaint is understanding what constitutes a wrongdoing in the first place. In our latest effort to reach public sector employees, today our office launches a new Complaint Checker tool. Available now, the Complaint Checker improves the user experience to our website and fosters a better understanding of workplace wrongdoing, as defined in the Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act.  

The Complaint Checker makes it easy to determine if our office has jurisdiction to investigate a complaint. This new website resource is accessible 24/7 and helps determine where and how to file a complaint. If the Public Interest Commissioner cannot investigate, the Complaint Checker offers referral resources that help point employees in the right direction.  

 

The Public Interest Commissioner can investigate: The Public Interest Commissioner cannot investigate:
  • Alberta government Ministries, agencies, boards and commissions
  • Provincial corporations or public agencies
  • Charter schools, private schools and school divisions or regional school authorities
  • Post-secondary institutions
  • Continuing care facilities
  • Alberta health agencies
  • Offices of a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), the Premier or Ministers
  • Offices of the Alberta Legislature
  • Canadian Armed Forces
  • Cities, towns or other Alberta municipalities
  • Daycares
  • Federal government
  • Members of Parliament (MP)
  • Municipal police
  • Private career colleges
  • Private companies or businesses
  • Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)

 

The Complaint Checker is also a helpful resource for the designated officers who administer whistleblower programs in their organizations. Designated officers can share the Complaint Checker with employees at their organizations who may be unsure of the criteria for reporting wrongdoing.  

The Complaint Checker is the latest offering from the Public Interest Commissioner’s office designed to educate Alberta’s public sector employees and assist them in assessing and reporting workplace wrongdoing.