Madam Chair, I would like to begin by thanking the committee for inviting us to testify today as part of its study of sexual harassment in the federal workplace.
The Ombudsman, Pierre Daigle, has asked me in my capacity as Acting Director General of Operations, to provide you with an overview of our mandate, policies and practices with respect to the handling of sexual harassment complaints brought to our office.
The office of the ombudsman was created in 1998 to ensure the fair treatment of concerns raised by current and former members of the Canadian Forces, both regular forces and reservists; by current and former employees of the Department of National Defence; by family members of service personnel and civilian employees; and by Canadians applying to become members of the Canadian Forces.
The ombudsman has a mandate to investigate and make recommendations to improve the overall well-being and quality of life of the members of the defence community. While our investigators attempt to resolve complaints informally and at the lowest level possible, some complaints require thorough investigation, leading to a formal report of findings and recommendations that are made public.
Last year we received more than 1,400 new complaints from our constituents. In total, our investigators and intake officers closed 1,471 cases, including new cases, reopened cases, and cases from previous years. Among these, 65 were related to harassment and three were specifically related to sexual harassment.
The ombudsman’s office also acts as a direct source of information, referral, and education. It is in this capacity that we address sexual harassment complaints. We ourselves do not investigate allegations of sexual harassment. In such cases, our office works closely with individuals to advise them of the various avenues of recourse available to them.
When an individual feels that he or she has not been treated fairly by the existing mechanisms within the Canadian Forces or the public service, the ombudsman can launch an investigation to determine if there are indeed issues or concerns related to fairness that need to be brought forward to the department on the individual’s behalf.
As a matter of policy, complainants with unresolved or ongoing complaints are requested to maintain contact with the ombudsman’s office so we can follow up on further questions or concerns.
To conclude, although complaints of sexual harassment make up a very small fraction of the 16,000 complaints we have received since 1998, we are keenly aware that they need to be treated with sensitivity and compassion. With that in mind, we do everything that we can to ensure individuals obtain the assistance they need and deserve.
Madam Chair, I have provided the committee clerk with the details of the disposition of harassment cases the Ombudsman's Office has handled over the last six years. The information is appended to Annex A of my speaking notes.
I stand ready to address questions from committee members.