MacEwan is committed to the highest standards of legal, fiscal, ethical and accountable conduct, and is subject to the Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act (the “Act”). Employees are encouraged to disclose any wrongdoings they may have seen, specifically:

  1. Contraventions of provincial or federal laws;
  2. Acts or omissions that create a danger to the life, health or safety of individuals;
  3. Acts or omissions that create a danger to the environment;
  4. Gross mismanagement of public funds or assets;
  5. Gross mismanagement in the delivery of MacEwan’s public service;
  6. Gross mismanagement of employees through a culture relating to bullying, harassment or intimidation; or
  7. Direction to commit any of the wrongdoing stated above.

Report any of the above by emailing MacEwan’s Office of General Counsel (safedisclosure@macewan.ca), or the Public Interest Commissioner at yourvoiceprotected.ca, which is external to MacEwan. You must provide:

  1. A description of the alleged wrongdoing;
  2. The name of the individual or individuals alleged to have committed, or who are about to commit, the wrongdoing;
  3. The date of the alleged wrongdoing;
  4. Whether the wrongdoing has been previously reported, and whether a response was received from that report;
  5. Any evidence or documentation supporting the alleged wrongdoing.

You are not required to provide your name, but are encouraged to do so to ensure a thorough investigation can be completed. MacEwan is committed to maintaining your confidentiality throughout the process and will only share your information insofar as it is necessary. Anonymous reports, particularly where there is no ability to follow up with the source, may be insufficient to enable a full investigation, or may have an impact on an investigation’s outcome.

The Act provides protection from reprisals, including any measure that would adversely affect your working conditions, such as dismissal, layoff, suspension, demotion or reprimand, where an employee:

  1. Requests advice about making a disclosure of wrongdoing;
  2. Makes a disclosure of wrongdoing;
  3. Cooperates in an investing of wrongdoing; or
  4. Declines to participate in wrongdoing.

An individual who makes a reprisal against an employee is guilty of an offence under section 49 of the Act and is liable for a fine of up to $25,000 on the first offence or $100,000 on a subsequent offence.

For advice or information about reporting, including whether what you have seen is wrongdoing, please contact MacEwan’s Office of General Counsel through safedisclosure@macewan.ca, or the Public Interest Commissioner at 1-855-641-8659 / info@pic.alberta.ca.

From the Office of General Counsel