Internal records show the Department of Transport disciplined 58 employees last year for workplace misconduct ranging from rudeness and abuse of authority to fraud, theft and conflicts of interest, according to its first Annual Report on Misconduct and Wrongdoing.The department said the cases reflect “a wide range” of violations of its Values and Ethics Code, stressing the findings highlight serious leadership and accountability failures. “This is not a report we take lightly,” managers wrote. “It speaks to difficult issues that affect real people, and it underscores our obligation as leaders to confront them with clarity, transparency and resolve.”Blacklock's Reporter said among the cases were breaches involving undue influence, unauthorized access to resources, false personal information and failure to disclose conflicts of interest. One employee was fired for undisclosed “personnel security violations.” Another was disciplined after failing to reveal co-ownership of a company with their spouse that held contracts with Transport Canada..The report also details toxic management behaviour, including one supervisor ordered into corrective training for “authoritarian and controlling behaviour that created a toxic work environment where employees felt disrespected and micromanaged.”Other incidents included public misconduct and inappropriate behaviour. In one case, a photo of an employee in a Transport Canada uniform behaving inappropriately circulated on social media, resulting in a disciplinary reprimand. In another, an employee who made disrespectful comments during a training session was required to formally apologize.More serious cases involved financial wrongdoing. .The department confirmed two incidents of fraud or financial misconduct, including one theft case that led to suspension and mandatory training. Another employee was disciplined for conducting personal business during work hours and using departmental transportation to carry out that activity.“Data and cases described in this report are a reminder that misconduct and wrongdoing in any form have no place at Transport Canada,” the department stated. “Even a single instance is unacceptable. When it occurs, we must and we do respond firmly, fairly and without hesitation.”The annual misconduct report follows a 2023 Privy Council warning about declining public confidence in federal institutions, citing growing concerns about corruption, incompetence and accountability in government. Officials noted public trust is eroded by perceptions of double standards between senior management and frontline employees in enforcing ethics rules across the public service.
