Workplace assessment of RCMP watchdog found ‘clear call for change,’ documents show

Members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police march on Parliament Hill during the 47th Annual Canadian Police and Peace Officers' Memorial Service in Ottawa, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

OTTAWA — An independent assessment of the RCMP watchdog, prompted by an anonymous email from employees, uncovered concerns about favouritism, a lack of transparency, heavy workloads and “a toxic environment.”

The workplace assessment of the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP found “a clear call for change and action at the leadership level to restore credibility and trust within the organization.”

The Canadian Press recently obtained a copy of the May 2024 assessment, almost six months after filing an Access to Information request with Public Safety Canada, which ordered the report.

The Ottawa-based review commission is an independent agency created by Parliament to ensure public complaints about the conduct of RCMP members are examined fairly and impartially.

Public Safety hired independent workplace investigator Robert Néron for the assessment after receiving an October 2023 email from review commission employees fearful of signing their names due to the watchdog’s small size.

In a June 2024 note to Public Safety summarizing his findings, Néron said the anonymous email had alleged the review commission was in total disarray because of a lack of leadership from the commission chairperson.

Michelaine Lahaie was serving in the role at that time.

Néron’s summary, heavily redacted before release under the access law, rejected the pointed allegation against the chairperson — a conclusion he reached after interviewing commission employees, including Lahaie, and circulating a detailed questionnaire to staff.

Néron found employees generally felt engaged with their work and that most believed leadership treated them fairly and provided constructive feedback.

However, some staff expressed serious concerns.

The report says a significant number felt overwhelmed by their workloads, causing stress and making them less satisfied with their jobs.

It cites a “notable communication gap” between the leadership and staff, with many employees saying organizational messaging was too infrequent and lacked clarity and consistency.

The report says feedback from employees on methods of resolving conflict was mixed, “with a distinct portion of the workforce feeling unsupported.”

There were also multiple complaints of “a toxic work environment” due to the behaviour and practices of leadership.

“The staff expresses a strong desire to address and resolve this toxic environment,” the report says. “They seek an anonymous reporting system to report workplace misconduct, especially involving senior managers.”

Employees also wanted additional support for mental health issues and a more compassionate means of accommodating staff needs.

Many employees said supervisors and team managers should have more autonomy over decisions about investigative outcomes and allowing people to work remotely, the report adds.

“They believe some current leaders lack the necessary skills and hold positions due to favouritism.”

The questionnaire, distributed to current and recently departed employees, revealed a consensus that the commission lacked vision, strategy and a cohesive plan for its future, the report says.

“Respondents feel there are no opportunities to discuss the broader mission or innovate.”

The report makes several recommendations to improve employee well-being and promote stronger leadership at the commission.

“In our view, addressing these concerns is crucial to fostering a more inclusive, equitable and productive organizational culture,” Néron said in his letter last year to Public Safety.

“Employees’ experiences demonstrate an urgent need for reforms in organizational management to address these issues.”

Following completion of Néron’s report, Public Safety took steps to help Lahaie communicate the findings to commission staff and implement the various recommendations, the records released under the access law show.

Lahaie, a military veteran, was appointed chairperson of the complaints commission for a five-year term in 2019. Her tenure was later extended through early this year.

The chairperson’s job has been vacant since January and Lahaie is now vice-chairperson at Tribunals Ontario, a provincial government agency.

Lahaie declined to comment on the workplace assessment, citing restrictions related to her new position.

The review commission has put in place several initiatives to bolster employee well-being following the assessment, said Public Safety spokesperson Tim Warmington.

The measures include better availability of wellness information on the organization’s intranet and presentations to staff on stress resilience, conflict management and employee assistance, Warmington said in an emailed response to questions.

The review commission’s mandate is set to expand to cover the activities of the Canada Border Services Agency as well as the RCMP.

Legislation establishing the Public Complaints and Review Commission received royal assent last year, though it is unclear when the new agency will be up and running.

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press