English and French in the workplace...what federal employees need to know (March 1995)
Page 8 of 11
Roles and responsibilities of the Commissioner of Official Languages
- Where the official languages are involved, the Commissioner of Official Languages protects the rights of all Canadians, including federal government employees.
- He conducts investigations, either on his own initiative or in response to complaints from the public or from federal employees who feel that federal institutions have not respected their language rights. These investigations help him make sure institutions respect the spirit and intent of the Official Languages Act. When necessary, the Commissioner recommends improvements.
- He also explains Canada's official languages policies and promotes understanding between English- and French-speaking Canadians.
Roles and responsibilities of the Treasury Board
The Treasury Board, a committee of Cabinet, is responsible for the general direction and co-ordination of the official languages policies and programs of the Government of Canada relating to service to the public, language of work, and the equitable participation of English-speaking and French-speaking Canadians in federal institutions. The Treasury Board Secretariat supports the Board by:
- developing policies for the Board's approval, as well as interpreting them and communicating them to other federal institutions;
- monitoring and auditing the implementation of the Official Languages Program and, where required, advising other federal institutions on its implementation;
- producing an annual report on the program that the President of the Treasury Board tables in Parliament.
