The Public Interest Commissioner of Alberta’s 2024−2025 Annual Report is now available, detailing the efforts of the office to investigate allegations of workplace wrongdoing and complaints of reprisal from public sector employees.
“The 2024−2025 Annual Report highlights the vital role the Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act plays in safeguarding Alberta’s public sector, and I am pleased to present my office’s latest findings and achievements. With the legislation undergoing a comprehensive review, this is a particularly important year to consider protections for whistleblowers.”
– Kevin Brezinski, Public Interest Commissioner
The Commissioner’s annual report includes information on the total number of cases, broken down by type and sector. In total, the office received 241 cases, including 105 disclosures alleging wrongdoing and 22 complaints of reprisal. These figures represent respective increases of 16%, 42%, and 69% over the prior year and reinforce the ongoing trend of a rising caseload.
Additional context for many of the results from this year’s annual report, including the office’s ongoing engagement efforts, comes from an expansive survey of Alberta’s public sector employees. The survey revealed a lack of awareness of the office as well as whistleblower rights and protections.
One of the office’s efforts to educate public sector employees in 2024−2025 was the launch of the new Complaint Checker tool, which aims to foster a better understanding of workplace wrongdoing.
The annual report features the investigations into allegations of wrongdoings and complaints of reprisal, which are at the heart of the Commissioner’s work. Allegations of wrongdoing this past year included the gross mismanagement of public services, public funds, and employees, as well as the contravention of provincial laws, and whether an alleged wrongdoing created a danger to the environment.
The report also includes the outcome of an investigation into a complaint of reprisal from a teacher who maintained that his employer retaliated against him for having previously blown the whistle on perceived wrongdoing by the school’s principal.
While the Commissioner’s investigations did not reveal occurrences of wrongdoing or reprisal this year, he did provide a number of recommendations. These recommendations were designed to make the public sector a better place to work and bolster public confidence and trust in government administration.
The 2024−2025 Annual Report arrives as the Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act is undergoing legislative review by the Standing Committee on Resource Stewardship. In June 2025, the Commissioner provided a technical briefing to the Committee and looks forward to working with the Legislative Assembly to strengthen the Act.
Check back for updates on the legislative review and see here for key considerations from the Commissioner’s office.
Download a copy of the 2024-2025 Annual Report here.