Each year the Treasury Board undertakes the Public Service Employee Survey (PSES). In 2019, a total of 182,306 employees in 86 federal departments and agencies responded to the survey. Sixty-two percent of public servants responded.
Harassment remains a serious issue in the federal public service. The results of the 2019 Public Service Employee Survey indicate no significant changes in levels of harassment in the workplace.
Most concerning, levels of harassment of gender diverse people remain very high. Twenty-nine percent of gender diverse people indicate that they had experienced harassment in their workplace. This is more than double the rate of harassment experienced by people identified as women or men.
This is unacceptable. Every person deserves a workplace safe from harassment and the federal government should be setting the standard for the private sector.
Only 51% of respondents to the survey were satisfied with how harassment is resolved in their department. Of gender diverse respondents only 32% were satisfied with how harassment is resolved in their department.
Forty-five percent of individuals identifying as gender diverse would not describe their workplaces as promoting psychological wellness.
We are sounding the alarm - gender diverse public servants deserve stronger protections and safe workplaces.
Published on 3 February 2020