Employment and Social Development Canada
The Government of Canada has taken steps to advance equity over the years. However, we know more work is necessary to create a level playing field for all Canadians. Creating equitable, diverse and inclusive workplaces will help grow our middle class. It will also help build a country where every Canadian has a real and fair chance to succeed and contribute to the economy.
In support of this commitment, the Government of Canada has established a Task Force to conduct a review of the Employment Equity Act.
The aim of the Employment Equity Act is to remove systemic barriers for individuals in the 4 designated groups under the Act in federally regulated workplaces:
- women
- Indigenous peoples
- persons with disabilities, and
- members of visible minorities
- These systemic barriers exist in the recruitment, promotion and retention of individuals in the 4 designated groups.
The 1984 Equality in Employment: A Royal Commission report identified these groups as having:
- lower salaries
- higher unemployment rates, and
- greater concentration in lower-paying occupational groups
- Since 1984, the Government of Canada has learned more about these barriers and as a result have committed to reviewing the Employment Equity Act.
The Task Force will undertake a comprehensive review of the Employment Equity Act and its supporting programs. As part of this work, they will engage with:
- stakeholder organizations
- partners, and
- Canadians
Through their engagement, the Task Force will obtain views about employment equity and the promotion of equity, diversity and inclusion in federal workplaces.
The Task Force will submit a final report for consideration by the Minister of Labour that includes:
- results of their research and key findings
- advice based on their own expertise, as well as from engagement session participants and from written submissions, and
- recommendations to modernize and improve the employment equity framework in the federal jurisdiction in Canada
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