Terms & Conditions

Using files located on non-Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal servers

To improve the functionality of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal (the "Tribunal") web site, certain files (such as open source libraries, images and scripts) may be delivered automatically to your browser via a trusted third-party server or content delivery network. The delivery of these files is intended to provide a seamless user experience by speeding response times and avoiding the need for each visitor to download these files. Where applicable, specific privacy statements covering these files are included in our Privacy Notice.

Providing content in Canada's official languages

The Official Languages Act, the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations and Treasury Board policy requirements establish when we use both English and French to provide services to or communicate with members of the public. When there is no obligation to provide information in both official languages, content may be available in one official language only. Information provided by organizations not subject to the Official Languages Act is in the language(s) provided. Information provided in a language other than English or French is only for the convenience of our visitors.

Linking to non-Tribunal web sites

Links to web sites not under the control of the Tribunal, are provided solely for the convenience of our website visitors. We are not responsible for the accuracy, currency or reliability of the content of such websites. The Tribunal does not offer any guarantee in that regard and is not responsible for the information found through these links, nor does it endorse the sites and their content.

Visitors should also be aware that information offered by non-Tribunal sites to which this web site links is not subject to the Privacy Act or the Official Languages Act and may not be accessible to persons with disabilities. The information offered may be available only in the language(s) used by the sites in question. With respect to privacy, visitors should research the privacy policies of these non-government web sites before providing personal information.

Ownership and usage of content provided on this site

Materials on this web site were produced and/or compiled for the purpose of providing Canadians with access to information about the programs and services offered by the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal. You may use and reproduce the materials as follows:

Non-commercial reproduction

Unless otherwise specified you may reproduce the materials in whole or in part for non-commercial purposes, and in any format, without charge or further permission, provided you do the following:

• Exercise due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the materials reproduced;
• Indicate both the complete title of the materials reproduced, as well as the author (where available); and
• Indicate that the reproduction is a copy of the version available at [URL where original document is available].

Commercial reproduction

Unless otherwise specified, you may not reproduce materials on this site, in whole or in part, for the purposes of commercial redistribution without prior written permission from the Government of Canada's copyright administrator, Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC). To obtain permission to reproduce Government of Canada materials on this site for commercial purposes, Apply for Crown Copyright Clearance or write to:

Trademark notice

The official symbols of the Government of Canada, including the Arms of Canada may not be reproduced, whether for commercial or non-commercial purposes, without prior written authorization.

Our commitment to accessibility

The Tribunal is committed to achieving a high standard of accessibility as defined in the Standard on Web Accessibility and the Standard on Optimizing web sites and Applications for Mobile Devices. In the event of difficulty using our web pages, applications or device-based mobile applications, please contact us for assistance or to obtain alternative formats such as regular print, Braille or another appropriate format.

Privacy Notice

Disclaimer

Some of the information and services found on this web site have been provided by Government of Canada departments and agencies as well as external sources. The Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal (the "Tribunal") is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability or currency of the information or services provided by other departments and agencies of the Government of Canada and external sources. Users wishing to rely on this information or these services should consult directly with the appropriate source.

The Tribunal is committed to protect the privacy of its visitors on its web site. This Privacy Notice summarizes the privacy policy and practices on the Tribunal's web site.

Your Privacy and the Internet

Specific personal information, such as your name, phone number or email address, is not automatically gathered. The Tribunal would only obtain this type of information if you supply it by email or by registering in a secure portion of the site for a program or service (e.g. personal information provided voluntarily when you complete an online form or request for service).

The nature of the Internet is such that web servers automatically collect certain information about a visit to a web site, including the visitor's Internet Protocol (IP) address. IP addresses are unique numbers assigned by Internet Service Providers (ISP) to all devices used to access the Internet. Web servers automatically log the IP addresses of visitors to their sites. The IP address, on its own, does not identify an individual. However, in certain circumstances, such as with the co-operation of an ISP for example, it could be used to identify an individual using the site. For this reason, the Tribunal considers the IP address to be personal information, particularly when combined with other data automatically collected when a visitor requests a web page such as the page or pages visited, date and time of the visit.

In cases where services are provided by organizations outside of the Tribunal, such as social media platforms, search or mobile applications, IP addresses may be recorded by the third-party service provider.

All personal information created, held or collected by the Tribunal is protected under the federal Privacy Act. At any point of collection, you will be asked for consent to collect your information or you will be advised of the authority for such collection. You will also be informed of the purpose for which the personal information is being collected, and how to exercise your right of access to, and correction of, that information. In such cases, how your personal information is handled is described in a Personal Information Collection Statement.

Visitors' personal information is not usually disclosed to anyone except the Tribunal's personnel who need the information to carry out their responsibilities. Any further disclosure of the personal information you provide would be in accordance with the federal Privacy Act.

Communicating with the Tribunal

If you choose to send to the Tribunal an email or complete a feedback form online, your personal information may be used in order to respond to your inquiry. The Tribunal does not use the information to create individual profiles. Any disclosure of your personal information is in accordance with the Privacy Act.

Emails and other electronic methods used to communicate with the Tribunal are not secure unless it is specifically stated on a web page. Therefore, it is recommended that you do not send sensitive personal information, such as your Social Insurance Number or your date of birth, through non-secure electronic means.

Personal information from emails or completed feedback forms is collected pursuant to section 4 of the Privacy Act. Such information may be used for statistical, evaluation and reporting purposes and is included in Personal Information Bank Public Communications (PSU 914).

Improving your Experience on the Tribunal web site

Digital Markers (including cookies)

A digital marker is a resource created by the visitors' browser in order to remember certain pieces of information for the web server to reference during the same or subsequent visit to the web site. Examples of digital markers are "cookies" or HTML5 web storage. Some examples of what digital markers do are as follows:

• they allow a web site to recognize a visitor who has previously accessed the site;
• they track what content is viewed on a site which helps web site administrators ensure visitors find what they are looking for.

The Tribunal uses sessional digital markers on its web site. During your on-line visit, your browser exchanges data with the Tribunal's web server. The digital markers used do not allow the Tribunal to identify individuals and do not contain personal information.

You may adjust your browser settings to reject digital markers, including cookies, if you so choose. However, it may affect your ability to interact with the Tribunal's web site.

Web Analytics

Web analytics is the collection, analysis, measurement, and reporting of data about web traffic and visits for purposes of understanding and optimizing web usage. Information in digital markers may be used in conjunction with computer request data to identify and track your online interactions with the Tribunal's web site.

The Tribunal uses Deep Log Analyser to improve its web site. When your computer requests a Tribunal web page, the following types of information are collected and used for web analytics:

• the originating IP address,
• the date and time of the request,
• the type of browser used,
• the page(s) visited,
• referral web site.

If you wish, you may opt out of being tracked by our web analytics software by disabling or refusing the cookies or by disabling JavaScript within your browser. Disabling JavaScript will still permit you to access comparable information or services from our web site. However, if you disable your session cookie option, you will still be able to access our public web site, but you might have difficulties accessing any secure services.

The Tribunal uses log file analysis internally and retains information collected for web analytics for a maximum period of 18 months. After this period, the information must be disposed of in accordance with the Standard on Privacy and Web Analytics or as authorized by the Librarian and Archivist of Canada. The information is not disclosed to an external third party service provider.

Information used for the purpose of web analytics is collected pursuant to section 4 of the Privacy Act. Such data may be used for communications and information technology statistical purposes, audit, and evaluation, research, planning and reporting. For more information on how your privacy is safeguarded in relation to web analytics, see the Standard on Privacy and Web Analytics.

Protecting the Security of the Tribunal web site

Software programs are used to monitor network traffic and to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. When you visit the Tribunal web site, these software programs automatically receive and temporarily store information supplied by your browser (for example, Internet explorer, Mozilla Firefox) in our web server logs. Some of the information automatically collected by our server when you browse our website includes:

• the network location and the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer you used to contact our web site;
• the name of the domain you used to access the Internet (.com, .org, .net, .ca, etc.);
• the type of browser you used;
• the type of operating system you used (Windows, Mac OS, etc.);
• the date and time you accessed the site;
• the pages you have accessed and the documents you have downloaded; and
• the Internet address of the web site from which you linked directly to our site, if applicable.

In most circumstances, this is anonymous statistical data and no attempt is made to link this data, nor the IP addresses of the computers that have contacted our website, with the identity of individuals visiting our site unless an attempt to damage the site has been detected. The programs are never used to gather specific personal information such as your name, your phone number or your e-mail address.

When a threat to the Tribunal web site or computer systems of the Tribunal is detected, information is collected pursuant to section 161 of the Financial Administration Act. The information may be shared with appropriate law enforcement authorities if suspected criminal activities are detected. Such information may be used for network security related statistical purposes, audit, evaluation, research, planning and reporting and is included in Personal Information Bank [PIB Number (PIB Title) – e.g. Security Incidents (PSU 939)].

Inquiring about these Practices

Any questions, comments, concerns or complaints you may have regarding the administration of the Privacy Act, and privacy policies related to the Tribunal web site may be directed to the Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada’s Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator.

If you are not satisfied with the Tribunal's response to your privacy concern, you may wish to contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner or by telephone at 1-800-282-1376.

The PDF documents available on this site can be viewed or printed offline using Acrobat Reader ©. If you do not have this software, you can download it free from the Adobe Web site. The Adobe Acrobat Web site contains instructions on configuring your browser to work with the Acrobat reader, and for support and update information.

Date modified:

2023-09-29