Grievances in the Canadian Armed Forces
From: National Defence
What this service offers
The Canadian Forces Grievance Authority (CFGA) oversees the Canadian Forces grievance system and administers the submission of grievances by Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members.
The National Defence Act gives CAF members the right to make a formal complaint called a "grievance" about any decision, act or omission which affects them personally and results from service in the CAF.
Before you pursue a grievance
Prior to submitting a grievance, CAF members who believe they have been aggrieved may first wish to discuss the issue with the chain of command or, if preferred, with an Agent in a Conflict and Complaint Management Service (CCMS) office. CCMS offices are located on bases and wings across Canada. For more information, please visit Conflict and Complaint Management Services.
CCMS Agents have been trained to deal with issues affecting members and will be able to guide grievors and present multiple avenues for conflict resolution, including the completion of the digital grievance submission form.
Related services and information
Related program
Grievance submission
Any Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) member wishing to submit a grievance should do so using the digital grievance submission form.
The form is accessible via DWAN and/or any personal device. If logging in via a personal device, CAF members will be prompted to enter their D365 credentials prior to accessing the form.
Once the digital grievance form has been submitted, the grievance will be routed to the Commanding Officer of the aggrieved member. The grievance must meet all the requirements under QR&O 7.08 – Submission of a Grievance.
CAF grievances may only be submitted by serving CAF members and must be submitted within 90 days of the date of the decision, act, or omission. CAF members can submit a grievance and attempt informal resolution at the same time, and if successful, request to withdraw their grievance.
Commanding officer responsibilities
A commanding officer to whom a grievance is submitted shall acknowledge receipt to the grievor, register it in the National Grievance Registry (ICRTS) and examine it to determine whether the commanding officer is able to act as the initial authority.
If the commanding officer is not able to act as the initial authority, the commanding officer shall:
- forward the grievance within 10 days after the day on which it is received to the Canadian Forces Grievance Authority and, as soon as possible, after forwarding the grievance, forward any additional information that the commanding officer considers relevant to it; and
- inform the grievor of the action taken and provide them with a copy of any additional information forwarded to the Canadian Forces Grievance Authority.
Contact us for help
For general CAF grievance inquiries, including the grievance submission process, members can contact their local Conflict and Complaint Manage Service office or email ICCMInquiries.DemandesrequeteGICPDGGP@forces.gc.ca.
Any feedback on the digital grievance form can be directed to the grievance project positional mailbox: CPCCCAFGrievanceProject-ProjetdeGriefFACCCPC@forces.gc.ca.
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