A Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) labor arbitration decision revealed that the agency rescinded a three-day suspension against a veteran rulings officer who attached a personal antenna to an office television to watch the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Thom Bartleman, a 27-year veteran rulings officer, faced disciplinary action after bringing the antenna into a boardroom on July 11, 2018, during the semi-final match between England and Croatia.
The CRA initially imposed a suspension after a supervisor claimed Bartleman watched the game for 30 minutes and ignored direct orders to return to work.
The agency eventually dropped the penalty after Bartleman filed a grievance and successfully argued that work logs proved he was conducting an interview during the disputed time.
Arbitrator David Olsen ultimately declared the grievance moot because Bartleman had already retired and the agency had removed the suspension from his record.
Bartleman contested the suspension by explaining his exact timeline to management, clarifying that he only checked the television connection briefly during his lunch break before returning later during an official intermission.
"During the lunch.
I connected an aerial to a television and watched the television for five minutes to see if it was working.
I returned at 3 PM and turned the television on. It was intermission," wrote Thom Bartleman, CRA Rulings Officer.
The veteran employee expressed deep frustration regarding how management handled the incident, noting that he was forced to endure an embarrassing exit from the workplace.
"It seems pretty darn important that the employer learn that they can't discipline an employee for no reason," said Thom Bartleman, CRA Rulings Officer.
CRA Defends Workplace Policy
The Canada Revenue Agency maintained that Bartleman violated strict workplace protocols by connecting unauthorized personal equipment to federal property and inviting other staff members into the boardroom to view the broadcast.
"The grievor admitted that he brought the antenna into the boardroom and that he attached it to CRA equipment, i.e., the television, without prior authorization.
He admitted that it was for the purpose of watching the game. He admitted that it was not for any CRA purpose.
He acknowledged advising his colleagues that the game was available to be watched in the boardroom," argued the Canada Revenue Agency.
Agency officials reiterated that federal employees are expected to maintain uninterrupted public service and cannot watch sporting events while on duty without utilizing pre-approved leave options.
"We know major moments like the World Cup can bring Canadians together, and it's something many employees enjoy following.
However, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) does not have a policy that allows employees to watch sporting events while working," wrote Sylvie Branch, CRA Spokesperson.
The agency emphasized that any staff members wishing to follow external events must coordinate scheduling with their direct supervisors.
"Employees who wish to take time to watch events during working hours would need to use leave options available to them, where operationally feasible and approved by management," wrote Sylvie Branch, CRA Spokesperson.
