Workplace dysfunction behind complaint, privacy commissioner finds
Breach at centre of complaint ‘would never have arisen’ if coworkers were getting along, says Graham Steele
Graham Steele, Nunavut’s information and privacy commissioner, said workplaces where there is tension are “fertile ground for people disclosing information that they shouldn’t.” (File photo by Mélanie Ritchot)
A privacy breach involving a Department of Health employee could have been avoided if it weren’t for tensions in the workplace, said Graham Steele, Nunavut’s information and privacy commissioner.
In a decision published April 29, Steele found there was a privacy breach when information about an employee’s personal life was shared with coworkers.
Steele was investigating a complaint from a Health Department employee who submitted a leave request via email in February with some personal information and other details related to the request.
The decision does not name the complainant, the employees involved, or which community the complaint originated from, in order to protect the privacy of those involved.
The complainant returned from leave and learned their personal information related to the leave request had been shared with a co-worker and passed on to others.
Steele said during his investigation he found “simmering tension” in the workplace between employees and management. He remarked in his decision that he worried he was being “drawn unwillingly into a wider workplace dispute.”
“It’s never comfortable when you get a situation of employees complaining about a manager or employees complaining about each other,” Steele said in an interview.
“There is a danger that privacy legislation will be used as just another arrow for people within a GN workplace to shoot at each other, and that is not, in my view, what privacy legislation is meant to accomplish.”
It’s not Steele’s role to recommend employment discipline, except in the most serious cases; he said it’s up to GN internally to decide how it wants to remedy the situation.
Steele did not list any formal recommendations in his report.
“No matter what I decide, it will not resolve the underlying workplace dysfunction,” he said in his decision.
However, he said the Department of Health’s senior management should consider finding ways to ease workplace tension, and speak to the manager involved in this case on how to prevent future breaches.
“They need to address the issues in that unit head-on because if everybody was getting along in that unit, this privacy complaint would never have arisen,” Steele said.
“Those kinds of tension-filled workplaces are fertile ground for people disclosing information that they shouldn’t.”
The Department of Health has long faced accusations of harbouring toxic workplaces across the territory, and has been the subject of other privacy complaints.
In response to Steele’s latest report, Chris Nolan, the GN’s acting deputy minister of health, provided a brief statement to Nunatsiaq News.
“The Department of Health takes all real or potential workplace complaints seriously and addresses them with staff as appropriate,” Nolan said.
Nunavut workplace culture has its fair share of toxicity, and unfortunately, the Department of Health seems to be the worst affected. People in management positions tend to judge their colleagues based on hearsay and gossip, rather than on their actual performance. This kind of behavior is particularly prevalent in the Kivalliq Management, where a superior attitude and gossiping are commonplace. However, such behavior would not be tolerated in Iqaluit. The management staff in Iqaluit is now being held accountable for their actions, thanks to the stories shared by previous employees who either left or were let go, which were covered by Nunatsiaq News.
Everyone knows that if you work at the hospital and take a few sick days, your manager will look up your medical records. If you work at health, check your meditech audit because it likely has happened to you. There are no system alerts or flags when someone who doesn’t treat you looks at your records.
.
These articles are a good reminder to any nurse or medical service provider to think very carefully before you choose Nunavut. This story is the tip of the iceberg. I have recently put in my notice and will be sharing with colleagues and friends to advise them to stay away.
.
There is just no accountability. The people who are in charge of health operations continue to sit in their positions while Deputy Ministers and Ministers are a revolving door. ADMs are directly accountable for the conduct of their directors and managers, but no one holds them to account.
“Advising friends ” aka adding to the toxic gossiping culture that exists in every GN office.
Try a day or without complaining about something.
You sound like my manager, don’t whine just take it lol
ADMs who have held their position for several years might not speak up because they could get too comfortable with their role, causing them to lose touch with the DM’s objectives. Alternatively, they may fear that speaking out against a Director who happens to be Inuit could lead to their removal.
Let’s hope that the Health DM keeps her promise to bring positive changes. However, I doubt that things will improve if the current Directors remain in their positions.
One time not so long ago, “Privacy” was a real word. Now, it’s just a word. Sorry to say, but a true story.
Gossiping is intrinsic to Nunavun-miut.
Will always be there.
Also Fast and Furious and if it’s on Facebook it must be true.
https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/nunavut-doctor-accused-of-snooping-wont-face-charges/
.
Multiple reports a year of privacy breaches by management, it is starting to sound like the title to an episode of Friends. NN missed a reference to “The One Where the Doctor Creeped his Co-Worker’s Medical Records for A Few Years After Harassing Them”.
.
John Main may not have started the problem, but years in and he sure isn’t fixing it.
.
The people will miss tenacious Commissioner’s like Steele, I am sure the next select will be carefully chosen to not upset the boat and we’ll miss these regular reports which, with time, make politicians change things.
Welcome to Nunavut. Healthcare providers in Nunavut DO NOT know the importance of Privacy. What training is provided to them ? I worked there for 10 years as nurse and never heard any one saying privacy. It would be music to my ears. Are there any designated employees from departments to report these incidents? Do you have a system to track these incidents? At health?
The ADM and CNO are counting the big bucks with no real experience and how can they be leading ? And guiding the employees? All they wanted is gossip. In the last article that was published , how can anyone continue to access another employee’s personal health information willingly being a doctors. Has this incident being reported to the collage of physicians and surgeon to review their code of conduct? If not please do so.
It’s unethical . Here it gets interesting to know if departments of health has auditing process of electronic medical records for unauthorized access, how often it’s audited? Who in the health department that audit report is shared for accountability? The basic requirements is to have a privacy breach policy? Do you have one ? Nunatsiaq editor please ask these questions for further awareness to the public .
A revamping is urgently needed. GN is toxic in pockets in each dept. Perhaps in some cases some of this negativity is not realized if you only work for your check or are part of the group playing it safe. I suggest to keep your head down to all employees bc making waves will cause grief. Some too much to take and after over 20 employment years then you have to leave.
part of the problem, this dysfunction, is created by inuit having the political where with all to do exactly as they please. busybodies, gossip, disrespect, lack of work ethic and unprofessionalism. yet directors and managers are afraid to call it out. its easier to side step it or ignore it. little to no expectations or standards are verbalized to people. why would a person put themselves out if there are serious consequences are doing so? its not going away any time soon.
GN workers should get audited by independent auditors and the results shared with the public.
Canada where in some places uses and takes advantages on their own people. Our pockets are emptied, our health is being abused, it’s not a safe place. Take the different wind for example, when. It is windy out in Inuit knowledge, you wouldn’t go out hunting on a windy day. It’s happening all the time, 24/7. Wind always changes, but today in today’s generation, we need that knowledge of the land and weather predictions is all but over with our elders detioriating, our only knowledge givers, today young people need that knowledge.
Windy.com actually works quite well for that.