Difference between revisions of "A Provincial Government Worker Was Abusive to Me"

{{Template:Legal Help Guide TOC}}If you believe that a <span class="noglossary">decision</span> or <span class="noglossary">action</span> of a provincial public agency has been unfair, rude, unduly slow, negligent, arbitrary, oppressive or unlawful, you can make a complaint to the [[Ombudsman|BC Ombudsman]]. The Ombudsman can deal with complaints about provincial government ministries, municipal and regional governments, Crown corporations and government boards. It can also deal with complaints about hospitals, health agencies, schools, colleges, universities and self-regulated professions such as the Law Society of BC, College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Registered Nurses Association of British Columbia.

#If you are not satisfied with the agency's complaint resolution, complete and send in a [http://www.ombudsman.bc.ca/how-to-make-a-complaint complaint form] within one year of the <span class="noglossary">action</span> you are complaining about. (See [[Ombudsman]] in the [[Resource List for Legal Help for British Columbians|Resource List]] for <span class="noglossary">contact</span> and website information on the BC Ombudsman complaint process.)

You <span class="noglossary">will</span> be contacted by a worker from the Office of the Ombudsman to discuss your complaint. If the complaint proceeds, the public agency <span class="noglossary">will</span> be notified and asked to respond. If this does not resolve the complaint, the Office of the Ombudsman <span class="noglossary">will</span> conduct a further investigation and may make recommendations to the agency and, if necessary, to the legislature. For the most serious issues, the Ombudsman may issue a public report.

The Ombudsman does not have the authority to <span class="noglossary">order</span> a public agency to take certain <span class="noglossary">action</span>. However, because the Ombudsman reports directly to the BC Legislature, agencies usually do not ignore the Ombudsman's recommendations.

If you are not happy with the investigation, you can <span class="noglossary">contact</span> the Manager of Investigations at the Ombudsman's office.

| tips = The Ombudsman may refuse to investigate if you have not used an internal review process. For example, many decisions [[I have been denied or cut off welfare|denying welfare benefits]] can be reviewed and repealed under the ''Employment and Income Assistance Act''. Use that review/appeal process first before going to the Ombudsman.

*[[Ombudsman]], including the Ombudsman website, which has "useful contacts" to make complaints about nongovernmental service providers such as lawyers, doctors and banks.