Investigation into reprisal

If, after filing a complaint about non-compliance with the Official Languages Act or following an investigation by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages into your complaint, you feel threatened, intimidated or discriminated against by the federal institution that was the subject of your complaint, you can notify the Office of the Commissioner to determine whether a reprisal has occurred.

Examples
  • You are a member of the public and a federal institution refuses to provide you with a service because you have filed a complaint with the Office of the Commissioner.
  • You are an employee of a federal institution and your supervisor denies you a promotion because you filed a complaint with the Office of the Commissioner.

1. Gathering all relevant information

During an investigation into a reprisal, the Office of the Commissioner must consider all available evidence, including your allegations, the federal institution’s allegations, a witness statement and any other relevant documents.

2. Determining whether the reprisal is related to the complaint you filed with the Office of the Commissioner

The Office of the Commissioner uses the information gathered to determine whether the language rights complaint you filed is in fact one of the reasons for the reprisal.

For example, the Office of the Commissioner will try to determine whether you would have been subject to a reprisal even if you had not filed a language rights complaint.

3. Submitting a report

If the Office of the Commissioner has reasonable grounds to believe that you have experienced a reprisal after filing a complaint of non-compliance with the Act or following an investigation into your complaint, a report will be sent to the President of the Treasury Board and to the federal institution concerned to inform them of the situation.