Frivolous, Vexatious or Unreasonable Requests or Complaints Policy - Policy GOV-21-01

Sep 17, 2026

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Frivolous, Vexatious or Unreasonable Requests or Complaints Policy sets consistent practices for City of Oshawa employees to handle requests or complaints about City programs, facilities, services, and employees. The policy aims to protect municipal resources and service excellence while maintaining a workplace free from discrimination, harassment, bullying, and violence. It defines who is covered, specifies key exclusions, and establishes foundational definitions such as complaint, complainant, feedback, and categories including frivolous, harassment, and unreasonable conduct.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Purpose/ Background

Policy Statement

Scope/Application

Definitions

| Title: | Frivolous, Vexatious or Unreasonable Requests or Complaints Policy | | --- | --- | | Number: | GOV-21-01 | | Approved By: | City Council | | Administered By: | Legislative Services | | Effective Date: | April 26, 2021 | | Revised Date: | October 2024 | 1.0 Purpose/ Background The City recognizes the importance of public input and welcomes Complaints as valuable forms of Feedback. The City also recognizes that Complaints, which are Frivolous, Vexatious or Unreasonable, can consume a disproportionate amount of time and resources and impede Employees from attending to other customers or essential issues. This Policy provides City of Oshawa Employees with consistent practices for handling Frivolous, Vexatious or Unreasonable Requests or Complaints about City programs, facilities, services and Employees. 2.0 Policy Statement Actions taken pursuant to this Policy will ensure that municipal resources are used effectively and efficiently, while maintaining a high level of service excellence and responsiveness and at the same time providing a work environment that is free from discrimination, Harassment, bullying and violence as outlined in the City’s Respect in the Workplace – Harassment and Violence Policy. 3.0 Scope/Application This Policy applies to all Employees (including employees of the Oshawa Senior Community Centres), Volunteers, Students, and/or Contracted Service Providers of the Corporation of the City of Oshawa. This Policy does not apply to: • Complaints about Members of Council (as they are governed by the Council Code of Conduct By-law 51-2015, as amended , and investigated by the Integrity Commissioner); • Members of advisory and quasi-judicial committees and local and other boards; • A function where there is a statutory or prescribed process for review or which is governed by specific legislation; • Complaints from Employees about other Employees or working conditions; | Effective: April 26, 2021 | Revised: October 2024 | Page 2 of 9 | Number: GOV-21-01 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | • Allegations of violations of Canada’s Criminal Code. This Policy does not apply where legal action against the City or a City official has been threatened or commenced. Additionally, the Policy does not apply to typical Complaints, which are addressed through the Complaint Management and Resolution Policy, which provides the public with an avenue for submitting Complaints about City programs, facilities, services and Employees, and provides a consistent practice for handling Complaints. 4.0 Definitions City means the Corporation of the City of Oshawa. Complaint means an expression of dissatisfaction or concern about the action or lack of action taken regarding operations, facilities, services or programs provided by the City or a person or body on behalf of the City. A Complaint can be spoken, written or submitted by another method of communication. Complainant means a customer person who is submitting a Complaint. Any customer who uses or is affected by City services can make a Complaint including residents, visitors, businesses and community groups. Contracted Service Provider means an individual or business that undertakes a contract or agreement with the City in order to perform a service on a continuing basis (e.g. Security Guard Services, Marriage Officiants, etc. ) . Council means Oshawa City Council as a whole. Council Member means an individual member of Council, including the Mayor. Cyberbullying means the use of communication technologies to engage in deliberate, repeated or hostile behaviour intended to harm, embarrass, Harass or slander someone deliberately, including, but not limited to: social media outlets (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc. ), personal blogs, web pages, discussion groups or online media/newspaper articles. Employee means all full-time, part-time, temporary, seasonal and Employees hired on a contract basis for a defined period

FAQs

What is the purpose of this policy?

The policy provides consistent practices for handling frivolous, vexatious, or unreasonable requests or complaints, protecting time and resources while supporting service excellence. It also reinforces a workplace free from discrimination, harassment, bullying, and violence.

Who does this policy apply to?

It applies to employees (including Oshawa Senior Community Centres employees), volunteers, students, and contracted service providers of the City of Oshawa.

What complaints are excluded from this policy?

It does not apply to complaints about members of council, advisory and quasi-judicial committee members and local boards, matters with a statutory or prescribed review process, complaints from employees about other employees or working conditions, allegations of violations of Canada’s Criminal Code, or situations where legal action against the City or a City official has been threatened or commenced.

How does the policy define a complaint and an unreasonable request or complaint?

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction or concern about City operations, facilities, services, or programs, submitted in spoken, written, or other communication methods. An unreasonable complaint or request is likely to cause distress or disruption without proper or justified cause and may negatively affect the ability to deal with complaints due to the nature or frequency of contact.

Sep 17, 2026

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