Description
Transport Canada's Senior Integrity Officer received a disclosure, alleging that a person in a management position had committed wrongdoing under paragraph 8(c) of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, specifically, gross mismanagement. The following allegation was deemed founded:
- Creating a toxic work environment where employees feel devalued and infantilized.
Conclusion and Recommendations
At the end of her investigation, the Senior Integrity Officer concluded that the allegation was substantiated to the extent that the authoritarian and controlling behaviour of the person in question contributed to the creation of a toxic work environment where employees felt disrespected and micro-managed. This behaviour had a direct impact on the employees’ morale, and on the decision of two-thirds of them to leave the team.
- The Senior Integrity Officer recommends that the individual receive specific coaching to improve their workforce management and people engagement skills.
- It is also recommended that senior management ensure that the individual in question be better guided in their role as a manager, in particular by more clearly defining expectations related to the operational issues of their team and to documenting their decision-making.
Management Action Plan
After consulting the report, the following measures were prioritized to address the issues identified:
- A meeting was held with the individual to communicate the management expectations of the position. A letter of expectations will then be provided, to identify the values and behaviors expected for the position. The letter of expectations will be valid until December 31, 2024, which corresponds to the performance evaluation period. Thereafter, if expectations are not met, an improvement plan will be put in place.
- The individual will be accompanied by external coaching to improve management skills and staff mobilization. Transparency and documentation of decision-making processes will also be addressed through coaching.
- Management initiated biweekly meetings with the individual to monitor their development in terms of the expectations related to the position, management skills and team relations.