Statistics Canada disciplines 65 employees for harassment, theft and other misconduct

Signage marks the Statistics Canada offices in Ottawa on July 21, 2010. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick)

Statistics Canada has fired 15 employees and disciplined 50 others for misconduct that includes harassment, security violations and the theft of government computers and cellphones.

Another seven misconduct investigations are currently outstanding and could result in disciplinary measures that include termination, oral or written reprimands, or suspension from one to 30 days.

The workplace discipline at Canada’s statistical agency was revealed in Statistics Canada’s first ever Report on Misconduct and Wrongdoing. The report covers the 2024-25 fiscal year, which runs from April 2024 to the end of March 2025.

The misconduct allegations include 21 harassment complaints, with nine related to discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act, as well as two security violations, seven privacy breaches and 18 investigations into the improper use of public funds, such as bogus travel claims and time theft.

The report also lists 31 cases of lost or stolen government property totalling $10,222 for missing cellphones, computers, tablets, laptops, monitors and docking stations.

In addition to the 15 terminations, 27 Statistics Canada employees received oral or written reprimands while 23 were temporarily suspended.

“At Statistics Canada, we are committed to fostering a culture of trust, where individuals are supported and expected to make ethical, well-informed decisions that inspire public confidence,” chief statistician of Canada André Loranger said in the report’s introduction. “The goal through this report is to provide transparency, reinforce accountability, and support our culture of ethical behaviour at Statistics Canada.”

In an email to CTVNews.ca, a Statistics Canada spokesperson declined to provide more details on the misconduct investigations.

“As this is the first year departments have been required to publish departmental disclosure of wrongdoing and misconduct reports, there are no results from previous years for comparison,” the spokesperson said. “As Statistics Canada does not usually comment on specific cases involving employees, we will not be providing further updates on any of the investigations.”

In 2024, Ottawa ordered federal departments and agencies to begin creating annual reports on misconduct and wrongdoing. Reports that have already been filed show that employees have been terminated or disciplined for misconduct at federal bodies like Global Affairs Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.