Building healthier environments through the Workplace Reintegration Framework
September 18, 2023 - Defence Stories
In fall 2022, the Director General Professional Conduct and Development (DGPCD) group held 25, one-hour conversations with volunteers from the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) about the Respondent Reintegration Framework (RRF). The aim was to assess how well it had worked in its first year to guide chains of command as they work to successfully reintegrate CAF members who were respondents in alleged incidents of misconduct and are retained in the CAF.
Informed by the feedback they received, DGPCD has just launched an updated version: the Workplace Reintegration Framework (WRF). It replaces and builds on the intent of the RRF to apply a restorative approach that prioritizes first and foremost affected persons’ safety and wellbeing, while recognizing that any response to a reported conduct deficiency must also address the needs of a respondent, the unit/team, and the chain of command. A restorative approach is principle-based and focuses on relationships between individuals, and between them and their communities or institutions.
The updated Framework better considers the whole ecosystem of the CAF/DND by incorporating Gender-based Analysis Plus knowledge, and considers reintegration through the lens of intersectionality. This means understanding how different aspects of a person’s social and political identity (such as gender, race, class, ability) combine to create unique advantages and disadvantages for them. These intersectional identities can also play a role in the severity of the impact of a conduct deficiency. Knowing this provides the chain of command with a more inclusive and effective tool with which to prepare the affected person(s) and their unit for the successful reintegration of a respondent.
The WRF also underscores that the CAF has a zero-tolerance position on misconduct, which means that all instances or allegations of conduct deficiencies are required to be taken seriously and acted upon. No incidents of misconduct or conduct deficiencies are to be ignored, minimized, or excused. This is in line with institutional efforts to sustain a positive command climate and healthy work environment for all Defence Team members. Zero tolerance does not, however, preclude reintegration following due process, and depending on the circumstances.
Conduct deficiency is a complex issue. The harm experienced can be deeply personal, on all sides. This updated Framework is based on leading practices in psychological safety aimed at reinforcing the institutional credibility of the CAF, bolster operational health, and strengthen operational effectiveness during reintegration, and beyond.
This can help create a positive and productive workplace in which interpersonal relationships are based on mutual respect and team cohesion.