BC's Public Interest Disclosure Act (PIDA) applies to all BC universities. Sometimes called the "Whistleblower Act", PIDA provides a safe, legally protected way for current or former public sector employees to make reports of wrongdoing without fear of reprisal.
Capilano University seeks to maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct and to promote a culture based on honest, transparent and accountable behaviour. It is the expectation that all members of the University community will comply with all applicable regulatory frameworks and University policies.
Employees acting in good faith are encouraged to disclose Wrongdoing as set out in B.310 Public Interest Disclosure Policy (pdf) and B.310.1 Public Interest Disclosure Procedure (pdf).
Under PIDA, "wrongdoing" is defined as:
- a serious act or omission that, if proven, would constitute an offence under an enactment of B.C. or Canada;
- an act or omission that creates substantial and specific danger to the life, health or safety of persons, or to the environment, other than a danger that is inherent in the performance of an employee's duties or functions;
- a serious misuse of public funds of public assets;
- gross or systemic mismanagement; or
- knowingly directing or counselling a person to commit wrongdoing as described above.
PIDA requires that public sector organizations appoint Designated Officers to provide advice, receive disclosures and lead or coordinate investigations of wrongdoing. The CapU Designated Officers are:
- the Vice President, People, Culture & Diversity; or
- if the request for advice or Disclosure relates to alleged financial Wrongdoing, the Vice President Finance and Administration.
Note that if an allegation of wrongdoing implicates one of the designated officers the other designated officer will take the lead role. If the allegation implicates the President or a member of the Board other than the chair the Designated Officer will be the chair of the Board of Governors.
Advice about making a disclosure may be requested from:
- the employee's supervisor;
- their union representative;
- a lawyer;
- one of the university's designated officers; or
- the office of the BC Ombudsperson.
A current or former employee who reasonably believes that wrongdoing has been or is about to be committed can make a report (which must be in writing):
- using the University's dedicated Public Interest Disclosure form;
- to their supervisor;
- by email to the appropriate Designated Officer;
- by mail in a sealed envelope marked Confidential and labelled for the attention of the Designated Officer only c/o the Presidents Office, Arbutus Building, 2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver, B.C. V7J 3H5; or
- through the B.C. Ombudsperson's office dedicated form.
Disclosures made to supervisors will be forwarded to the appropriate designated officer.
Employees who choose to disclose to the B.C. Ombudsperson' office, do not need to follow any additional CapU processes. PIDA allows employees to share otherwise confidential information with the B.C. Ombudsperson for the purpose of disclosing wrongdoing.
PIDA allows employees to make anonymous disclosures. When making an anonymous disclosure, as much detail as possible should be provided. If insufficient detail is provided, and the designated officer does not have a way to contact the discloser, an investigation may not be possible.
Employees who ask for advice about, report or cooperate with an investigation of wrongdoing are legally protected against reprisal. Reprisal includes any action taken by management, peers or any other person which negatively impacts an employee's employment or working conditions because the employee sought advice about or reported wrongdoing or cooperated with a wrongdoing investigation. The B.C. Ombudsperson is empowered to investigate reports of reprisal. Employees who believe they have been subject to reprisal can request an investigation using this form: bcombudsperson.ca/report-reprisal
More information about protections under PIDA is available from the BC Ombudsperson's office.
Supervisors should be familiar with the University's Protected Disclosure policy and procedure as they are an important point of contact for employees who may seek advice or report wrongdoing. Supervisors are responsible for:
- advising their employees about the options for disclosing and the protections available;
- protecting the confidentiality of employees who seek advice or disclose wrongdoing; and
- forwarding any disclosures directly to the appropriate designated officer.
Supervisors are encouraged to seek advice from one of the designated officers if they are uncertain about how to respond to a request for advice or a disclosure of wrongdoing.
Employees can access a 60-minute online course on PIDA provided by the B.C. Ombudsperson's office.
Supervisors can access a 40-minute online training module for on PIDA.
The University's Protected Disclosure Policy and Procedure are available on our Policy Listing page.
The B.C. Ombudsperson's office also provides a variety of resources supporting PIDA on their website at Whistleblowing - Office of the Ombudsperson.
Employees who wish to report concerns that are not considered to be wrongdoing under PIDA should be aware that the university has a range of policies with processes to manage breaches and misconduct.
These include:
| Policy | Responsibility | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| B.217 Fraud Prevention and Investigation Policy | Finance / Risk Management | The administrator for your academic or administrative unit |
| B.401 Sexual Violence Policy | People, Culture and Diversity / Student Success | People, Culture and Diversity or the Administrator for your academic or administrative unit |
| B.506 Standard of Conduct Policy | People, Culture and Diversity | Your supervisor, manager, director/dean, or human resources business partner |
| B.511 Discrimination, Bullying and Harassment Policy | People, Culture and Diversity / Student Success | Your supervisor or manager |
| B.517 Conflict of Interest Policy | People, Culture and Diversity | Your supervisor, manager, director/dean, or human resources business partner |
| B.604 Acceptable Use and Security of Digital Technology | Digital Technology Services | The Digital Technology Services department |
| OP.420 Safety and Emergency Services | Safety and Emergency Services | Report immediately to a supervisor or if life threatening to 911 and then to Campus Security. Incidents may also be reported using the CapUSafe App. |