Bank of Canada won’t say whether it used NDAs in harassment, workplace violence cases – National

The Bank of Canada is not saying whether any cases of harassment or workplace violence from the past two years involved the use of non-disclosure agreements, citing the institution’s privacy obligations in the incidents.

Global News asked the central bank whether any of the six complaints that it investigated over the past two years — three of which the bank determined breached its policy on harassment and workplace violence — had resolutions that saw anyone involved sign NDAs.

In response to requests from Global News, a Bank of Canada spokesperson declined to answer the question directly.

“The Bank’s responsibility to uphold its obligations under the Privacy Act preclude us from speaking about any specific case or individual. All reports and complaints received under our policy, including the names of the individuals involved, the circumstances, the complaint process and repercussions, are treated as strictly confidential,” the statement read.

Global News had previously asked for details about whether any of the six complaints involved senior leadership at the bank, financial payouts or termination. The bank would not provide a direct response to those questions either, citing Privacy Act obligations.

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Expert Panel on Abuse of NDAs in Nova Scotia

The Bank of Canada, which sets monetary policy for the country such as the benchmark interest rate for many types of loans, is a public institution and Crown corporation owned by the federal government. The bank sets its policy independently of the feds, but receives its funding from the government and Ottawa appoints the institution’s governors.

When asked by Global News about the lack of details around these incidents, Peter Julian, the NDP deputy finance critic and MP for New Westminster—Burnaby, said the federal government has a “responsibility” to create a safe work environment with the “transparency and accountability that Canadians expect.”