Employee complaint prompts bilingualism reforms at Bank of Canada: report

A formal complaint filed by a former employee has led to significant changes in the Bank of Canada’s approach to bilingualism, with the institution now under pressure to ensure that senior leaders can operate fluently in both of Canada’s official languages, according to a report.

The complaint was submitted to the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages following the 2021 appointment of Carolyn Rogers as senior deputy governor, CBC reported.

The former Bank of Canada employee — whose identity was not disclosed — argued that the lack of French proficiency among senior managers undermines employees’ right to work in their language of choice.

The lack of bilingualism at the top of the bank's hierarchy "was detrimental to the right to work in French" for all employees, the former employee noted in the complaint, according to CBC.

The former employee noted that while an "entry-level position requires mastery of English ... several members of senior management [are] incapable of functioning in French, even after careers spanning several decades."

Complaint upheld by language commissioner

The language commissioner upheld the complaint, concluding that Rogers does not yet possess the language skills necessary to manage staff in French, despite having taken intensive French courses during the summers of 2022 and 2023, along with ongoing one-on-one language training.

"Regarding the level of French of the senior deputy governor, she has made good progress and is moving towards the level of competence required by her functions," said Bank of Canada spokesperson Sean Gordon, according to CBC.

Previously, dozens of Quebecers filed complaints with the provincial government alleging that their employers are penalizing them because they have little or no command of a language other than French, according to a report.

At the Bank of Canada, the issue extends beyond Rogers. Overall, 87 managers — 23 per cent of the bank’s 373 managers — have not yet achieved Level 5 proficiency in French, the standard required for their roles, according to the broadcaster.

Approximately 50 of those managers either enrolled in French-language courses last fall or are scheduled to do so this spring.

Bank implements bilingualism policy reforms

Following the official complaint and subsequent recommendations from the language commissioner, the Bank of Canada has "overhauled" its internal bilingualism policy, according to CBC.

The institution now assesses the second-language abilities of senior managers every three years — an increase from the previous five-year cycle — to prevent skill regression and reinforce continuous development. A new dashboard has also been introduced to monitor progress in language training across departments. Moreover, managers are now required to speak both French and English at internal events where simultaneous translation is available.

According to Gordon, the goal is to ensure that managers can “follow a conversation that unfolds at a natural pace, communicate clearly using complex sentences, and be able to express oneself spontaneously” in their second language.

Despite these initiatives, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages has said that the Bank’s implementation of its recommendations has thus far been only “partially” completed.

The Bank of Canada still has a long road ahead before it is compliant with the Official Languages Act, said lawyer Darius Bossé, who represents the former employee.

The government should stop appointing unilingual individuals to senior roles with the expectation that they will quickly acquire a second language, the lawyer added.

"The government takes for granted that language proficiency can be achieved over time, while people are working, even though it's clear that those skills are required from the start in order to supervise and manage employees in both official languages," Bossé said, according to CBC.

Language requirements in public office

In the public service, positions require knowledge of English, French or both English and French, according to the Public Service Commission of Canada (PSCC).

“The manager is responsible for determining the language requirements of a position. This determination is based on an objective assessment of the duties and responsibilities of the position. If the position requires the knowledge of both official languages, the manager must also determine the proficiency level, in English and in French, in each of three language skills: Reading, Writing and Oral Interaction,” it said.

“The proficiency levels which can be assigned to each skill are: A (beginner), B (intermediate), C (advanced). In addition, certain positions requiring specialized training or expert proficiency could be assigned Code P.”

The requirements of a bilingual position are summarized in a language profile, such as the following:

A previous report noted that Quebec businesses are increasingly seeking French language skills from their workers. In 2023, Quebec’s Premier Francois Legault introduced strict requirements mandating that nearly all immigrants to Quebec be able to speak and write in French. That came as OQLF previously reported that the exclusive use of French in workplaces in Quebec has declined.