Ombuds Annual Report: Navigating Change

September 2021 to August 2022

Message from the Ombuds—A Year in the Life of the Office of the Auditor General of CanadaOAG

Would it be stating the obvious to say that the OAG has been through a lot over the past year? Since my last report, employees and managers have navigated the ongoing effects of the COVID‑19 pandemic, including public health measures, remote work, a mandatory vaccine mandate, and the occupation of Ottawa’s downtown core by convoy protesters. They also navigated a labour dispute with significant individual and organizational repercussions. At the same time, a call to transformation is challenging all of us to think differently about how we achieve value for Canadians. And all of this is happening as the organization renews and expands its workforce, with almost 50% of current employees having worked here for 5 years or less.

Every human being responds to change differently, and everyone’s circumstances are unique. I sincerely hope that every person at the OAG—whether you are a new hire or a long-standing employee—feels proud of what you have accomplished while adapting to these various circumstances.

The OAG launched a revitalization initiative this past spring, led by an external consultant and rooted in dialogue and listening, to help identify what needs to be maintained, changed, or improved to create a healthy and respectful workplace where we can all contribute and thrive.

As I write this, the results of the revitalization focus groups have just been released. By anonymously sharing the issues raised by OAG employees and managers who reached out to me (hereinafter referred to as visitors) this past year, I hope to contribute to the reflection and discussion on improving our workplace and navigating the coming changes with open communication and empathy.

What I Heard This Year …

From September 2021 to August 2022, employees and managers discussed 138 different cases with me. Because the Ombuds service is informal and confidential, I do not maintain formal records, but I keep track of the topics raised so that I can share information about the kinds of issues that are affecting people in the workplace. For each situation, I take note of 1 or 2 topics and the services sought, depending on the complexity of the case, hence the percentages will add up to more than 100%. The following are the top categories of topics raised this year and the number and percentage of cases in which each topic was raised.

Topics raised

    Organizational culture (raised in 47, or 34%, of cases)

Organizational culture was the most frequently raised topic this year. My positive takeaway from these conversations is that people care about the organization, its people, and its work, enough that they want to have their part in improving how things are done. Here are examples of the concerns raised, grouped as themes that emerged, and in order of frequency:

• Many visitors felt that change management is an area for improvement, particularly employee engagement, observing that they often feel left out of discussions that have an impact on their work:
  • Management asks for greater work output (more and faster) but often neglects to involve employees in the search for efficiencies, leaving them feeling devalued. When changes to work processes are dictated without discussion, some employees feel “bulldozed”.
  • Management overcommits to new initiatives and products while underestimating the challenges involved and does not want to hear concerns raised. “Just get it done” was cited as a common management response.
  • Too much change is happening at the same time, resulting in exhaustion and chaos, affecting managers and employees alike.
• Some visitors met me to discuss diversity and inclusion, with many acknowledging the need for the OAG to make room for a greater diversity of voices to shape and influence the organization:
  • Some visitors were witness to or the target of a micro-aggression (remark or gesture targeting part of someone’s identity and acting to reinforce this person’s marginalization) and wanted to explore ways to respond constructively.
  • Some employees mentioned that their teams at the OAG have always been diverse and inclusive, and they are not yet clear on how this priority applies to them.
  • Some people would like to see more transparency in employment-equity staffing targets.

    Leadership and management style (raised in 45, or 33%, of cases)

• Micromanagement was the most frequent concern raised this year in this topic category, with many employees feeling that they are not given enough autonomy and responsibility to do their work:
  • Employees spoke about multiple levels of review and about having their work redone by their reviewers.
  • Sometimes decisions about how the work gets done were made unilaterally by management, leading employees to feel disengaged.
  • Increased demands under tight timelines combined with heavy management control created challenging situations for a number of teams.
• Some employees felt unsupported by their management when they asked for help or when they were struggling with work-life balance.
• Sometimes a lack of direction or unclear roles and responsibilities exacerbated strained relationships within teams. Some employees would prefer to have a standardized annual performance review process so everyone’s objectives are clear.
• Other management styles that caused concern were as follows:
  • competitive, dismissive, and hierarchical
  • risk averse and compliance focused
  • abrasive or rough in the delivery of performance feedback

    Wellness (raised in 31, or 22%, of cases)

• Stress was often raised as a secondary topic, resulting from a difficult workplace situation (for example, the labour conflict, high-pressure deadlines, negative performance feedback, the mandatory vaccine mandate, or a disappointing outcome of a staffing process).
• Some employees wished to discuss the pros and cons of disclosing a mental health condition to their supervisors. Others wanted to explore ways to cope with delays in the accommodation process, which were exacerbated this year by supply-chain delays in obtaining equipment.
• Other wellness-related topics in order of frequency were as follows:
  • work-life balance
  • burnout
  • COVID-19-related health and safety concerns

    Communication challenges and conflict (raised in 31, or 22%, of cases)

• Of the situations people discussed with me under this topic category,
  • 7 related to supervisor–employee dynamics
  • 10 touched on relationships among colleagues
  • 14 related to feeling in conflict with the organization itself
• Some of the events and circumstances that people described as contributing to strained relationships or difficult conversations included the labour dispute, the mandatory vaccine mandate, and the announcement by OAG management of its vision of a hybrid workplace of the future.

    Concerns over various processes (raised in 15, or 11%, of cases)

• Being screened out or unsuccessful in the evaluation stage of a competitive staffing process can be frustrating and disappointing:
  • I heard from employees who found the negative result of a staffing process to contrast with their positive performance feedback and promotion readiness as evaluated by their supervisors.
  • Other unsuccessful candidates were disappointed in the way the results were communicated to them and would have preferred a more personal approach.
• Some employees are discouraged by the use of non-advertised external appointments.
• The upward feedback process is inconsistent (that is, some employees have not been invited to provide skip-level feedback concerning their supervisors).
• Some employees described newly introduced work processes as undisciplined and inefficient.

    Growth and development (raised in 13, or 9%, of cases)

• According to the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, growth and development are present in a work environment where employees are encouraged and supported in the development of their interpersonal and job skills.
• The main concerns I heard about this year related to growth and development were as follows:
  • Some employees perceive that their growth is inhibited by the micromanaging style of their supervisors (for example, supervisors perform certain tasks themselves rather than delegating to employees as a learning opportunity).
  • Operational constraints often trump growth opportunities for employees (for example, employees were sometimes denied stretch assignments because there is no backup to cover their own tasks).
  • Lack of talent management or career development led employees and managers to apply to external processes and consider leaving the organization.
  • Many Audit ProfessionalsAPs find their promotional processes and acting policy overly rigid.

Main topics by year^{Note *}

Following are the main topics for 2021–22 and the percentage of cases in which they were raised for the last 3 fiscal years.^{Note **}

Text version

Main topics by year

Topic	2021–22	2020–21	2019–20
Organizational culture	34%	28%	Not available
Leadership and management style	33%	16%	36%
Wellness	22%	48%	34%
Communication challenges and conflict	22%	27%	30%
Concerns over process	11%	7%	Not available
Growth and development	9%	4%	Not available

Number of cases in proportion to the number of OAG employees

Text version

Number of cases in proportion to the number of OAG employees

	2021–22	2020–21	2019–20
Number of cases	138	94	64
Number of employees (as at March 31, the end of the fiscal year)	791	761	657
Percentage	17%Note *	12%	10%

Other topics raised this year, in order of frequency

• Official languages (for example, a lack of equity in how English and French are treated or a perceived lack of fairness in how language requirements affect employees)
• Performance management
• Harassment and incivility
• Workload management
• Values and ethics

Services

People contact the Ombuds for various reasons—very often, it’s the opportunity to be heard by a neutral party. In other situations, people are looking for help about what resources or options may be available to them, or they may request that their issues be flagged confidentially to other parties in the hopes of resolving a systemic irritant. Following are the top services from this year’s cases and the percentage of situations in which they occurred:

• I provided visitors with a sounding board and an opportunity to be heard in 93, or 46%, of situations.
• I helped identify avenues and options for resolution, often including some the visitor did not previously know about, in 24, or 12%, of situations.
• When permission was given to me by the visitor, I shared feedback with management or other stakeholders while protecting the visitor’s identity in 22, or 11%, of situations.
• I referred a visitor to another resource, internal or external, in 15, or 7%, of situations (when they were not already aware of, or in touch with this resource).
• I conducted an exit interview and shared results with Human Resources with the visitor’s permission in 13, or 6%, of situations.
• I provided resources or tools, such as tips on wellness or how to have a difficult conversation, in 12, or 6%, of situations.
• I helped a visitor to use a direct approach, such as coaching, role-playing, or scripting, in 6, or 3%, of situations.

Other services, in order of frequency

• I obtained another party’s perspective on the visitor’s behalf.
• I obtained information from other sources on the visitor’s behalf.
• I raised a specific case with management or stakeholders with the visitor’s permission.
• I facilitated an informal discussion between parties.
• I provided informal shuttle diplomacy, which means facilitating communication without bringing parties together.

In Closing …

I believe that organizations like ours are important not only because of their potential impact on Canadian society, but also because of their effect on the lives and well-being of the people who work for them.

Smart organizations communicate openly about their successes and achievements, but it takes a thoughtful organization—one committed to improvement and learning—to explore what has not gone as well and to listen to the concerns raised by employees and managers.

There is more change on the horizon, including the new strategic plan, new governance structures, transformation initiatives, the revitalization process, and the phased implementation of hybrid work.

I hope that people will lean into the journey of change, and feel empowered to share their perspectives while listening to their colleagues with genuine openness and collaboration. I am hopeful that some of the issues I heard about this year, particularly those related to corporate culture, will be improved as we pursue the strategic outcome of building an “inclusive, diverse, skilled, and engaged workforce that is united in its values, behaviours, and actions.”

There are many resources available to support you, such as the union for Audit Services GroupASGs, the informal conflict-management services, the Employee Assistance Program, your manager, your colleagues, and me. Do not hesitate to ask for help when you need it.

Janet Campbell, Ombuds