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Deputy mayor Mike O’Reilly stated town retained a 3rd occasion investigator, The Integrity Group, to look into the complaints towards Hamer-Jackson again in February.
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Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson has been beneath investigation for alleged office bullying and harassment of employees members for months.
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The investigation, first reported by Radio NL, includes the Metropolis of Kamloops hiring Vancouver agency The Integrity Group to research complaints from 4, non-political office employees members. Hamer-Jackson was knowledgeable of the investigation in late February and interviews with complainants have been accomplished by the investigator, Terry Honcharuk, in early April. Hamer-Jackson allegedly refused to take a seat for an interview with Honcharuk.
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The necessity for an exterior investigation was raised by human assets and Honcharuk’s report was given to council throughout an in-camera assembly held June 13, in response to NL.
That was in the future following Hamer-Jackson submitting a lawsuit towards Coun. Katie Neustaeter. The lawsuit is unrelated to the harassment investigation. It is usually unrelated to the mayor’s alleged privateness breach for mishandling personnel information that got here to mild earlier this month.
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The character of the allegations towards Hamer-Jackson are unclear at the moment.
The town’s chief administrative officer David Trawin instructed KTW the Metropolis of Kamloops couldn’t affirm or deny the existence of an investigation because the mayor isn’t thought-about metropolis employees and directed queries to deputy mayor for June, Mike O’Reilly, who confirmed the investigation.
“It has been reported that mayor Hamer-Jackson is beneath investigation regarding his adverse or antagonistic therapy of employees. Like all employers, the Metropolis of Kamloops has a authorized responsibility to supply a protected office for workers freed from bullying and harassment,” O’Reilly instructed KTW. “When it receives complaints alleging an elected official is mistreating employees, town is legally obligated to inquire into the matter.”
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O’Reilly stated town retained a 3rd occasion investigator, The Integrity Group, to look into the complaints towards Hamer-Jackson again in February, however couldn’t disclose what kind of staff — unionized or senior employees — issued the complaints. He stated there have been a number of complainants, however couldn’t specify the precise quantity.
He stated he additionally couldn’t remark as to the character of the allegations made towards the mayor which can be being investigated nor might he clarify what spurred the investigation.
“All we are able to say at the moment is the municipal company has been compelled to take extraordinary steps to guard sure members of employees from ongoing mistreatment and a hostile work setting by the hands of an elected official,” O’Reilly stated.
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O’Reilly stated town should do that so as to keep away from potential authorized claims that would contain “substantial” financial legal responsibility for which the Kamloops taxpayer would finally be on the hook.
“Relaxation assured we’re working diligently and persistently to guard the municipal company and each Kamloops taxpayer within the face of those very troublesome circumstances created by an elected official,” O’Reilly stated.
As for the present standing of the investigation, whether it is full and what, if any, advisable actions could also be forthcoming, O’Reilly stated he couldn’t remark. He stated town is legally prohibited from commenting on personnel issues within the absence of consent of the affected people.
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He additionally stated he doesn’t know if the report will sooner or later be launched publicly.
“However we do know that sure people proceed to breach privateness and confidentiality legal guidelines, and council would really like nothing greater than to supply the general public with an entire and correct description of occasions to counter and proper the misinformation that has been disseminated,” O’Reilly stated. Nonetheless, doing so would require us to interrupt the legislation and be dangerous to metropolis employees and, finally, you the taxpayer and we is not going to try this.”
Reached for remark relating to the bullying and harassment allegations, Hamer-Jackson instructed KTW he couldn’t touch upon issues pertaining to closed, in-camera info.
“I’d be breaching confidentiality,” he stated. “I can’t touch upon something that may be in closed [meetings]. If different folks need to, that’s effective, however I can’t,” Hamer-Jackson stated.
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Metropolis council again in February requested employees to attract up a code of conduct bylaw, which it handed this spring. The bylaw comes with 14 listed sanctions for imposing misconduct. It states that members of council will deal with one another with respect and dignity and never discriminate towards, bully, harass or defame any council member, employees member or volunteer. Penalties for breaching the code of conduct embrace docking remuneration, limiting entry to sure metropolis services, public censure and issuing a letter of apology.
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