Ottawa – The Director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), David Vigneault issued the following statement regarding serious allegations reported in the media. “We take any allegation of inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, including harassment and violence, very seriously,” said Director Vigneault. “We care about ensuring that all our employees work in a safe, healthy and respectful environment and will not tolerate inappropriate behaviour of any kind.”
The media reporting includes a number of factual inaccuracies that do not align with recorded events, including about CSIS’s promptness, its response and its exhaustive investigations. Immediately upon learning of the allegations of inappropriate workplace behaviour, CSIS launched a third-party investigation without delay and the individual implicated by the allegations was removed from the workplace. The recommendations are currently being actioned. Employees who may have been victims of a crime are encouraged to report it to the police. Further, employment with CSIS does not, and will never prevent employees from reporting a crime to the police.
In cases of founded harassment, violence, discrimination or misconduct, appropriate disciplinary and corrective measures are determined by a Discipline Committee and CSIS is committed to responding decisively and effectively. These measures can and have included termination of employment, and other strong measures to correct and address inappropriate actions.
CSIS has made significant improvements in its grievance and harassment investigation processes over the last few years. CSIS has confidence in the integrity of its internal grievance mechanisms. These were recently validated by the Supreme Court of British Columbia decision dealing with the lawsuit reported by the media. In a separate unrelated case, the Federal Court has also upheld our grievance process. Both the Federal Court and the Supreme Court of British Columbia found no flaw in the existing process at CSIS nor any evidence that the internal process is compromised or otherwise corrupted.
“We strongly encourage employees to report alleged incidents of workplace harassment and violence as well as inappropriate behaviours and they can expect to do so without fear of reprisal. Managers are expected and equipped to act promptly on any issues brought to their attention. Accusations of a toxic workplace cannot, however, be taken lightly. In light of these serious allegations, CSIS had launched a Workplace Climate Assessment (WCA) in our BC regional office. This will be instrumental in identifying and resolving potential barriers to a safe, healthy and respectful workplace as well as restoring the workplace climate.
“For too long, a culture existed at CSIS where inappropriate behaviours were not addressed and inaction allowed these issues to fester. We are determined to do all that it takes to address any such allegations as they are raised to our attention, and in doing so, create a workplace culture that is respectful, safe, inclusive and ensures our valued employees can continue to protect Canada and Canadians.”