The Vice-Regal Failure : "Walking on Eggshells"

"...Many participants reported conduct that, if it occurred, would lead to a toxic workplace. Reports included allegations of  yelling, screaming, aggressive conduct, demeaning comments and public humiliation."

"The overwhelming majority participated confidentially to raise concerns about the work environment and/or their individual treatment. Forty-three participants described the general work environment as hostile or negative or used other words to that effect. Twenty-six participants used the words 'toxic' or 'poisoned' to describe the general work atmosphere at [Rideau Hall/Governor General's residence] during the current mandate."

"Quintet did not investigate the veracity of the concerns and allegations raised by participants. For example, Quintet did not test the quality of the evidence gathered, or assess participants' credibility. It follows, importantly, that the description of alleged conduct in this Report does not establish that such conduct occurred."

"[There is] a serious problem [that requires the Privy Council Office's] immediate attention. [The government must act] quickly and decisively. Only through meaningful, timely action on the part of senior leadership of the PCO will any restoration of the work environment at [Rideau Hall] be possible."

"In reaching this conclusion, Quintet respects the unproven nature of the reported concerns and draws on its decades of experience in the field of conflict management and prevention."

Quintet Consulting report to Privy Council Office 

Gov. Gen. Julie Payette delivers the throne speech in the Senate chamber in Ottawa on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

 

The Privy Council Office retained Quintet Consulting to undertake a review of the situation at Rideau Hall respecting the behaviour toward staff evinced by Governor General Julie Payette and her hand-picked secretary of the Office of the Governor General when the national broadcaster, CBC had reported confidential sources that alleged the Governor General and her secretary, Assunta di Lorenzo, a Montreal lawyer and personal friend of Julie Payette had between them created a toxic workplace, verbally abusive toward staff, belittling them and occasionally leaving some in tears.

The report of the workplace review issued by Quintet and surrendered to the Privy Council Office, saw a heavily redacted version released to the news media a day ago.  While details regarding who is alleged to have committed certain acts remain unknown as a result of redaction, larger conclusions of the overall workplace situation can be read from the text that remains and what it reflects is an intolerable 

atmosphere of dysfunction permeating the vice-regal office, a situation that has no counterpart in the long history of the Queen's representative in Canada.

But then, this choice of Governor General turned out to be  hugely unusual in the demeanor, preferences and presence of the office holder who was forced to resign days ago when the extent of her incapability to act with adequate respect and decorum toward those working for her was fully revealed. What had been revealed on numerous previous occasions was Julie Payette's distaste for the position which she had accepted; her unwillingness to appear at ceremonial occasions at public and private events, her impatience with signing official documents, her insistence on remaining in Montreal, rather than domiciling at the official residence of Rideau Hall.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau looks on as his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau greets Assunta Di Lorenzo, secretary to Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, as they arrive at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Sept. 11, 2019. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

 

Now, both she and her secretary Assunta di Lorenzo, both equally accused by Rideau Hall employees -- federal public servants skilled in the byways of the office -- of manipulating the office to suit themselves and in the process harassing and abusing their professional staff. Between October and November of last year Quintet conducted 92 interviews with individuals including current employees, former employees and 'knowledgeable insiders' where fewer than 10 people reported positive or neutral feedback relating to the work environment.

Quintet was originally supplied with a list of 197 employees along with their email addresses, despite which by October 6 the firm received "more than 81 requests for interviews from current employees, former employees, and those presenting themselves as having relevant information. This was substantially more than anticipated", they reported. "Turnover is at record levels" and "people are leaving in droves", with "waves of departures", along with an exodus of "quite a few competent, accomplished, experienced personnel", Quintet was informed by staff, all of which episodes undermined morale.

Among the language made use of by participants in describing the atmosphere within the vice-regal residence were "humiliation", "disrespect", "condescension", "a non-inclusive workplace", and "the definition of a poisoned work environment", leaving employees "stressed out" and "worn out". The report was complete with a full dozen pages of "serious" and "oft-repeated" behaviours leading to a toxic workplace. Each and every example, however, had been redacted.

What was made abundantly clear was that the examples given spanned Ms.Payete's entire tenure with her behaviour described in measures "that were in most cases repeated and persistent". The former astronaut whose reputation while in her previous positions reflected that of a poor manager with a short temper and abusive manner, had been overlooked in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's zeal to place a brilliant scientist and former astronaut in the vice-regal role of Governor General.

 

Astronaut Julie Payette waves before boarding the astronaut van for a trip to launch pad 39-A and a planned liftoff onboard the space shuttle Endeavour Wednesday July 15, 2009 at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (Chris O'Meara/Associated Press)

 

Naming this intelligent, short-fused, misanthropic woman as Canada's 29th Governor General in 2017, Mr. Trudeau had done so once he had disbanded a non-partisan, arm's-length committee constituted by the previous Conservative government to exclude politics from the recommendation of likely nominees for the vice-regal post.

 

Appended to the Quintet report was one emanating from the Office to the Secretary to the Governor General, which enumerated measures that were adopted to "improve the health of the workplace" by conducting a "World Cafe", all-staff meeting in fall of 2018, adopting a first-ever Workplace Well-being and Harassment Prevention Action Plan and the organization of training sessions on "Respect in the Workplace", and "Working Minds". The problem here seems to be that Ms. di Lorenzo felt that the stress and manipulation, harassment and agitation emanated from staff, not from her; an unfortunate misunderstanding.

"OSGG [Office of the Governor-General] management specifically spoke about the challenges associated with needing to modernize some aspects of the OSGG, including related to HR policies, technology and the system of honours."

"They reported that some OSGG staff were quite resistant to these changes that were taking place ... Representatives of OSGG management also stated that reports of harassment at the OSGG predated the current mandate, and they had, in recent years, taken many important steps to improve the health of the workplace."

Report, Management, Office to the Secretary to the Governor General (OSGG)

The outer wall and visitors gate is seen at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Thursday January 21, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld