RCMP inspector says allegations he mishandled employees' romance left him feeling 'betrayed'

RCMP Inspector Sukhjit ​​​​​ Manj says he was in a quandary when he suspected two people under his command — one a civilian employee and one an RCMP officer — were having a relationship and they denied it. 

Romantic relationships can be problematic in any workplace but particularly so in one governed by strict policies like the RCMP.

Now his handling of the case has resulted in allegations, being heard by an RCMP tribunal in Richmond, that he didn't do his job properly, leaving Manj feeling "angry, frustrated and betrayed by people I trusted." 

As the officer in charge, Manj knew he had to ensure that the relationship didn't affect the workings of the Lloydminster detachment on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border.

He was well aware of the force's Interpersonal Workplace Relationship Policy (IWRP).

Its purpose is "to manage conflicts of interest, ensure public confidence in the integrity and management of the RCMP, provide a safe and respectful workplace, protect employees from abuse of authority and harassment that may arise as a result of an imbalance of power between employees in the workplace and support the operational effectiveness of the RCMP."

Manj himself is married to another RCMP officer, Cpl. Tammy Hollingworth. 

He testified at his disciplinary hearing that from the beginning of their relationship, they informed their superiors of it as per the cohabitation policy and they had to step carefully to avoid any impression of a conflict of interest, even though they worked in the same detachments over their careers.

So when the married office manager — a woman Manj and his wife considered a friend and who was on the senior management team at the detachment — secretly started a romantic relationship with the dog handler, he started asking questions.

They denied the relationship until the dog handler's wife confronted her husband in July 2016 when he was at his residence with the civilian manager. The dog handler admits moving his wife roughly so she wouldn't go in and see his lover.

Before that, the manager — who had given Manj a birthday card calling him "the best boss ever" in April — went on stress leave in May, blaming Manj for ruining her reputation by asking questions. She took her complaints to his bosses, still denying the relationship.

The bosses testified earlier this week that they told Manj to back off, fearing harassment allegations.

At issue is whether the office manager was the dog handler's boss; Manj believed she was and worried it was inappropriate and contrary to the workplace relationship policy. His bosses didn't.

"If they want to cheat on their partners it's their problem," said Chief Supt. Shahin Mehdizadeh.

Manj says he took it all to heart and, when confronted with signs of the relationship, questioned the office manager. She denied it and got upset.

The manager, a City of Lloydminster employee, later went on to be part of a harassment class action launched by civilian employees that was settled by the RCMP and the federal government in July.

Manj was ordered to move back to B.C. and was given a job he saw as a career graveyard — duty officer — before being suspended with pay for his handling of the relationship and the inquiries that followed.

The testimony from those under his command was that he was a good boss and greatly improved policing in the detachment until the relationship soured his tenure and left him angry and stressed.