Grievance information for civilian employees

The Ombudsman’s Office does not replace the existing grievance process. You must first attempt to resolve your concerns through existing mechanisms.

If you are a represented employee, you should contact your union representative for information and assistance. Additionally, you can review your collective agreement for information on submitting a redress of grievance.

If exceptional reasons such as time sensitivity, health, security, or financial concerns for you or your family that prevent you from addressing your concerns through regular channels, contact our office by telephone or in writing. In cases where compelling reasons exist, we can ensure the appropriate parties know about your circumstances.

If you submit a complaint to the Ombudsman about the handling of your grievance, the Office will review the process only to ensure your treatment was fair and equitable.

You can submit a request through your immediate supervisor to ask about your grievance’s status as well as the expected completion time. In addition, if you are a represented employee you can ask your union representative for assistance.

If you have concerns about the handling of your grievance at any stage in the process or if you feel compelling circumstances justify our involvement, you can contact the Office for information and assistance.

If you’re an employee under the Public Service Employment Act and your position has been reviewed, you may file a classification grievance if you disagree with the classification decision (group and level) or a labour relations grievance if you disagree with the content of the job description, or the effective date selected.

If you wish to submit a classification grievance, you must file a written notice to your supervisor no later than 35 calendar days after receiving notification of the classification decision or after becoming aware of an action or circumstance affecting the classification of your position. For labour relations grievances, please refer to your collective agreement for the process to submit.

For more information, review Classification 101 (available on the Defence Team Intranet).