Canada's Best Diversity Employers (2017)

p Enjoying a lighter moment at Toronto's Distillery District.

MEDIACORP

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2017 WINNERS

CO-PUBLISHED BY

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CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

JOHN LEHMANN/THE GLOBE AND MAIL

10th Annual Edition

CANADA'S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017 Magazine Anthony Meehan, PUBLISHER

Karen Le,

VICE-PRESIDENT

Editorial Team:

Richard Yerema, MANAGING EDITOR

Kristina Leung, SENIOR EDITOR

Stephanie Leung, RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Advertising Sales:

Kristen Chow,

DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS

Amy Wong,

SENIOR ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE

Sponsor Content Writers:

Berton Woodward, SENIOR EDITOR

Michael Benedict Brian Bergman

Ann Brocklehurst Sheldon Gordon Patricia Hluchy D'Arcy Jenish

Bruce McDougall John Schofield

Barbara Wickens

© 2017 Mediacorp Canada Inc. All rights reserved. CANADA'S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS is a trade mark of Mediacorp Canada Inc.

p Employees of Air Canada helping passengers disembark from a flight in Cranbrook, B.C.

INTRODUCTION

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anada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2017 set an outstanding example of how Canadians make diversity our strength.

From corporate strategy to successful implementation, these employers make diversity and inclusion integral to their workplaces and the way they do business. By hiring people who truly reflect all Canadians, including new immigrants, aboriginals, LGBTQ people and those with disabilities, these organizations benefit too, boosting their energy and innovation through an influx of fresh voices.

Additionally – because we’re not there yet – many organizations have targeted programs supporting women employees, particularly in industries such as engineering, mining or agribusiness.

For instance, Agrium Inc. in Calgary recently piloted a Women’s Leadership Development program to prepare high potential female candidates for senior management positions, matching participants with a mentor as well as with a group of potential sponsors. Notably, women at McCarthy Tétrault LLP in Toronto currently comprise approximately half of their senior leadership team and 36 per cent of the firm’s board

of directors, a result of maintaining an annual internal pipeline scorecard that records the gender demographics of partners, associates and students.

Besides creating a safe and inclusive environment at work, most companies also reach out to the community at large, forming partnerships with local or national groups. Just a few of many examples include: Toronto’s KPMG LLP that recently began providing employment assistance to veterans by partnering with Canada Company’s Military Employment Transition Program; Sodexo Canada in Burlington that partnered with Ready Willing and Able Canada last year to hire more than 100 individuals with disabilities; and SaskTel’s partnerships with First Nations bands, tribal councils and aboriginal employment agencies with the aim of increasing the number of aboriginal employees in their work force.

Then there’s the City of Ottawa, that over the past year participated in more than 30 recruitment fairs, conducted 34 information sessions, attended 57 community outreach events and delivered 18 preemployment workshops to foster communication with the immigrant community. Now that’s saying welcome.

–Diane Jermyn

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

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CAMH / CENTRE FOR ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH, Toronto. Specialty hospital; 1,960 employees. Provides bias-free interview training for recruiters and managers.

M E T H O D O L O G Y

anada’s Best Diversity Employers competition recognizes employers across Canada that have exceptional workplace diversity and inclusiveness programs.

These include successful diversity initiatives in a variety of areas, including programs for employees from five groups: women; members of visible minorities; persons with disabilities; aboriginal peoples; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered/transsexual (LGBTQ) people.

To determine the winners for 2017, Mediacorp editors reviewed the diversity and inclusiveness initiatives of all the employers that applied for the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project, short-listing those with the most noteworthy and unique diversity initiatives. Those candidates were further reviewed to determine how their programs compared with others in the same field. The finalists represent the diversity leaders in their industry and region of Canada.

2017 WINNERS

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CCENTURE INC., Toronto.

Management consulting; 3,425 employees. Conducted a national mental-health survey to better understand employee knowledge and attitudes toward mental health and illness.

AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD CANADA, Ottawa. Federal government; 4,245 employees. Launched a recruitment campaign across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to recruit and hire indigenous students.

CANADA MORTGAGE AND HOUSING CORP. / CMHC, Ottawa. Federal government; 1,890 employees. Maintains a national, employee-led committee on mental health and wellness.

CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY CO. / CN, Montreal. Railroad transportation; 15,074 employees. Launched a dedicated internship program to provide women with exposure to transportation, mechanical, engineering and intermodal disciplines.

CAPGEMINI CANADA INC., Toronto.

Information technology; 371 employees.

Provides growth, balance and leadership opportunities for women employees through their Women Leadership, Excellence, Action and Development (LEAD) network.

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ELL CANADA, Montreal. Communications; 38,671 employees.

Maintains an internal mental health policy and offers enhanced mental health-care benefits coverage for employees.

BLAKE, CASSELS & GRAYDON LLP, Toronto. Law firm; 1,375 employees.

Supports a number of diverse student organizations such as the Black Law Students’ Association of Canada and the Korean Law Students’ Association.

BOEING CANADA OPERATIONS LIMITED, Winnipeg. Aircraft equipment manufacturing; 1,579 employees. Hosts a three-day global diversity summit, open to employees around the world.

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AMECO CORP., Saskatoon. Uranium mining; 3,040 employees. Partnered with the Mining Industry Human Resource Council and Women in Mining for a research project to increase company and industry knowledge on barriers faced by women in mining.

CAPITAL ONE BANK (CANADA BRANCH), North York, Ont. Credit card issuing; 973 employees. Created a Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee composed of senior leaders.

CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY OF TORONTO, THE, Toronto. Child and youth services; 770 employees. Is committed to improving the accessibility of its physical space.

CIBC, Toronto. Banking; 36,215 employees. Updated its board of directors’ goal for the representation of women to no less than 30 per cent.

q A locomotive operated by Canadian National Railway Co. / CN makes its way into the rail yard in Dartmouth, N.S.

AGRIUM INC., Calgary. Agricultural products and fertilizer manufacturing; 3,440 employees. Piloted a Women’s Leadership Development program to develop women candidates with high potential for senior management positions.

AIR CANADA, Saint-Laurent, Que. Air transportation; 23,783 employees. Maintains regional diversity committees in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

AMEX BANK OF CANADA, Toronto.

Credit card issuing; 1,643 employees.

Launched “Women at Amex” to support the development and advancement of women employees.

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2017 WINNERS

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Continued

ENTONS CANADA LLP, Vancouver. Law firm; 1,288 employees. Implemented national Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Policy and Procedures to ensure processes are in place to create a safe and inclusive environment.

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DMONTON, CITY OF, Edmonton.

Municipal government; 10,065 employees. Created an online toolkit to assist new Canadians with their job search.

ENBRIDGE INC., Calgary. Natural gas distribution; 5,848 employees. Established a dedicated aboriginal employee resource group to foster personal and professional development.

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ENERAL MOTORS OF CANADA CO., Oshawa, Ont. Automobile manufacturing; 8,264 employees.

Maintains a longstanding Supplier Diversity Council, which works with more than 200 certified minority and wom-

an-owned businesses in Canada and the United States.

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EALTH CANADA / SANTÉ CANADA, Ottawa. Federal government; 9,113 employees. Launched a multi-year mental health and wellness strategy to promote the psychological well-being of its work force.

HEWLETT-PACKARD ENTERPRISE CANADA, Mississauga. Electronic computer manufacturing; 3,947 employees.

Supported the launch of its parent company’s technical women strategy, which aims to encourage women to pursue careers in technology.

HOME DEPOT OF CANADA INC., Toronto. Retail; 13,790 employees. Fosters an environment of inclusion for people with disabilities.

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SLAND HEALTH, Victoria. Hospital; 9,008 employees. Established a dedicated aboriginal recruitment and retention strategy.

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CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

AZZ AVIATION LP, Dartmouth, N.S. Air transportation; 4,266 employees. Maintains an in-house LGBTA employee resource group and launched a Safe Space campaign to promote an inclusive work environment.

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PMG LLP, Toronto. Accounting; 6,385 employees. Partnered with Canada Company’s Military Employment Transition Program to provide employment assistance to Canadian Armed Forces members, reservists, veterans and military spouses.

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OBLAW COMPANIES LTD., Brampton, Ont. Supermarkets; 28,481 employees. Maintains an inclusion council, responsible for developing the company’s inclusion strategy.

ANITOBA HYDRO, Winnipeg.

Hydroelectric power generation; 6,001 employees. Participates in Project Search, a transitional employment program to provide work placements to senior high school students with intellectual disabilities.

FRED LUM/THE GLOBE AND MAIL

q An employee of Rogers Communications Inc. at the company’s Hockey Central studio.

MANITOBA PUBLIC INSURANCE, Winnipeg. Insurance; 1,871 employees.

Created a diversity and inclusion steering team and is exploring the formal development of employee resource groups.

MANITOBA, GOVERNMENT OF, Winnipeg. Provincial government; 12,762 employees. Created a 12-month Diversity Employee Development Program for high potential employees who self-identify as aboriginal, visible minority, or a person with a disability.

MCCARTHY TÉTRAULT LLP, Toronto.

Law firm; 1,435 employees. Maintains an annual internal pipeline scorecard to record the gender demographics of partners, associates and students; women currently comprise 36 per cent of the firm’s board of directors.

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ATIONAL BANK OF CANADA, Montreal. Banking; 15,458 employees. Established a dedicated network for employees who are members of cultural communities or new to Canada.

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, GOVERNMENT OF the, Yellowknife.

Territorial government; 5,950 employees.

Established a Diversity and Inclusion Unit, composed of a manager of diversity and inclusion, an aboriginal HR specialist and two workforce diversity officers.

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NTARIO COLLEGE OF TRADES, Toronto. Professional organization; 180 employees.

Launched dedicated Web pages to promote skilled trades to aboriginal people, women and new Canadians.

ONTARIO PUBLIC SERVICE/ OPS, Toronto. Provincial government; 62,080 employees. Launched the Accessibility@ Source campaign to help staff integrate accessibility considerations into everything they do.

OSLER, HOSKIN & HARCOURT LLP, Toronto. Law firm; 1,063 employees. Manages a summer employment program where participating students spend the latter portion of the term working for a firm-sponsored public interest group or entity involved in diversity issues.

OTTAWA, CITY OF, Ottawa. Municipal government; 12,085 employees. Hosts an annual Accessibility Day event to offer residents an opportunity to provide disability-related feedback on various issues.

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EPSICO CANADA, Mississauga.

Soft drink and food manufacturing; 9,358 employees. Hosted a diversity and engagement summit to share the company’s national diversity strategy.

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

2017 WINNERS

Continued

PROCTER & GAMBLE INC., Toronto.

Consumer product manufacturing; 1,754 employees. Maintains a dedicated diversity council which establishes long-term action plans every three to five years.

PUBLIC SERVICES AND PROCUREMENT CANADA, Gatineau, Que. Federal government; 11,589 employees. Maintains a joint committee on employment equity and diversity as well as a national diversity network.

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BC, Toronto. Banking; 52,488 employees. Publishes an annual report that documents the bank’s various partnerships to build prosperity for aboriginal people.

RED RIVER COLLEGE, Winnipeg. College; 1,266 employees. Maintains a Transforming Futures Program to provide opportunities for adults with intellectual disabilities to learn in an inclusive, supportive environment.

ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS INC., Toronto. Communications, cable publishing and subscription programming; 23,177 employees. Expanded gender identity and sexual orientation questions in its monthly customer questionnaire to better understand the diversity of its clients.

RYERSON UNIVERSITY, Toronto.

University; 2,958 employees. Established a campus-wide accessibility initiative entitled Access Ryerson to identify, remove and prevent barriers to inclusion for persons with disabilities.

SHAW COMMUNICATIONS INC., Calgary. Communications, cable and subscription programming; 10,921 employees. Established an executive diversity committee to monitor the company’s overall progress toward diversity and inclusion.

SHELL CANADA LTD., Calgary. Crude petroleum and natural gas extraction; 8,307 employees. Manages Senior Women Connect, a dedicated leadership program for senior-level women.

SINAI HEALTH SYSTEM, Toronto.

Hospital; 3,469 employees. Partners with Career Bridge to offer internships to new Canadians.

SODEXO CANADA LTD., Burlington, Ont. Food service contractors; 5,961 employees. Offers internships to Vancouver Community College students with intellectual disabilities, in partnership with the Vancouver School Board’s Life Skills Program.

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D BANK GROUP, Toronto. Banking; 43,273 employees. Maintains 11 regional LGBT employee resource groups across Canada and the enterprise-wide LGBTA Pride Network, with nearly 3,000 members.

TELUS CORP., Vancouver. Telecommunications; 23,328 employees. Maintains “Eagles,” a dedicated resource group to provide professional development and networking opportunities for aboriginal employees.

5 TORONTO, CITY OF, Toronto. Municipal government; 22,983 employees. Manages the Toronto Regional Champion Campaign Protégée Program to help boost women’s participation in local government.

UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA, Victoria.

University; 2,948 employees. Established a Chair in Transgender Studies role, the first of its kind, to further research topics concerning the lives of trans and gender non-conforming people.

TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING CANADA INC. / TMMC, Cambridge, Ont. Automobile manufacturing; 8,575 employees. Hosts an annual Toyota North American Women’s Conference to create networking opportunities and eliminate barriers for women employees across the country.

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NIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA / UBC, Vancouver.

University; 10,459 employees.

Offers an Equity Enhancement Fund to help promote initiatives that contribute significantly to the enhancement of equity and diversity at the university.

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UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY, Calgary.

University; 5,748 employees. Implemented a Positive Space campaign to raise awareness and address discrimination and harassment on the basis of sexual and gender diversity.

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA, Winnipeg.

University; 4,882 employees. Hosted its first mental health week to encourage staff and faculty to take care mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually and socially.

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, Toronto.

University; 9,286 employees. Maintains more than 10 offices dedicated to issues of equity and diversity.

ANCOUVER, CITY OF, Vancouver. Municipal government; 6,972 employees.

Launched the Vancouver Immigration Partnership to help increase local capacity to assist newcomers with engagement, integration and access to services in Vancouver.

ILLIAM OSLER HEALTH SYSTEM, Brampton, Ont. Hospital; 2,994 employees.

Hosts networking and educational events for staff including a Multi Faith and Diversity Day.

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MCA OF GREATER TORONTO, Toronto. Individual and family services; 1,546 employees. Manages a PRIDE Initiative, which focuses on increasing awareness throughout the broader community and includes speaker series and workshops.

YORK, REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF, Newmarket, Ont. Municipal government; 3,352 employees. Implemented an Immigration Settlement Strategy to enhance the integration and success of new Canadians.

–Diane Jermyn

q A student leaves the Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.

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ASKATCHEWAN GOVERNMENT INSURANCE/ SGI, Regina. Insurance; 1,882 employees. Participates in Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s employment readiness and bridging programs for persons with disabilities.

SASKPOWER, Regina. Hydroelectric power generation; 3,331 employees. Maintains a diversity department, responsible for the development and implementation of the organization’s corporate diversity strategy.

SASKTEL, Regina. Telecommunications; 3,102 employees. Maintains a hiring strategy for people with disabilities and conducts information sessions and pre-employment workshops with community partners.

JOHN WOODS/THE GLOBE AND MAIL

SASKATOON, CITY OF, Saskatoon. Municipal government; 3,166 employees. Offers temporary work placements to help new Canadians gain work experience.

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

CITY OF EDMONTON

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q Members of the recruitment team at the City of Edmonton meeting with local community college graduates.

The Power of Networking:

Employee resource groups are a hallmark of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers

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t RBC Capital Markets, Rachel Megitt is an enthusiastic co-Chair of RWomen, a networking group for women in the investment arm of Canada’s leading bank. “It really allows work to become a community,” she says.

Over at Capgemini Canada, a management and technology consulting firm, Alexandra McCalla is a proud member of Women LEAD, a similar networking group. “I am passionate about diversity,” she says.

RWomen and Women LEAD are what are now familiar in workplaces across Canada as employee resource groups, or ERGs, the staff affinity networks based on shared identity. Today most large companies and organizations, including Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, have

established ERGs, often with inspiring names. RBC’s include MOSAIC, for visible minorities, PRIDE, for the LGBT+ community, Royal Eagles, for Indigenous employees, REACH, for people with disabilities, and NextGen, for millennials.

“They embed diversity and inclusion in an organization,” says Norma Tombari, RBC’s Senior Director, Global Diversity.

“They create a sense of community and a feeling that you belong to the organization. A lot of personal and professional development is enabled through these very active, agile and proactive ERGs, whether it’s through peer coaching, networking or access to professional development opportunities.”

Many employees belong to more than one. McCalla, who has Jamaican heritage, is also part of Capgemini’s Afri-

can-American and African ERG – known as “A-Cubed” – and set up a Toronto chapter for her global company. She is involved, too, with Mentoring Matters, yet another ERG that puts younger employees like her in touch with senior leaders.

Some employers also have ERGs for newcomers to Canada, for linguistic backgrounds such as francophones, and in some cases, for armed forces veterans transitioning into civilian life.

“If you look at what’s happened for us at RBC, there’s just been enormous growth over the years,” says Tombari.

“On a quarterly basis we see more and more people join.”

ERGs are a hallmark of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, says Kristina Leung, Senior Editor for Mediacorp Canada, which produces the list each year. “A lot

of the winners note the steady increase in membership in ERGs.” As you might expect, some of the biggest growth is in the emerging groups, such as those for LGBTQ people, which often didn’t exist a few years ago. But still expanding, it turns out, are the ERGs that were often the first to be established – those for women. There’s good reason for that: today, many employers report the proportion of female staff – and often, female managers and female senior executives – at 50 per cent or more. Women, it’s clear, are thriving in many workplaces.

Even so, many diversity leaders are finding there is more work to do for women, long before they reach the door of an employer – as early as high school.

If you look at roles where an employee needs a background in the so-called

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and math – the gender ratios tend to be quite different. Finance and investment, software development, airline piloting – these are just a few of the areas where women often lag in the statistics.

Recently, for instance, the CFA Institute, representing chartered financial analysts, lamented that in Canada only 19.7 per cent of these investment professionals are women. Megitt, studying for her MBA in 2010 at a major Canadian business school, found that she was the first-ever female president of its student council. “In 2010!” she says.

Canada’s Best Diversity Employers are trying hard to improve that situation. At Capgemini Canada, where the consulting

work focuses heavily on technology, CEO Sanjay Tugnait is proud of his company’s level of female employees – 28 to 30 per cent. “When you compare us to other tech firms, no one else is close to 30 per cent,” he says. He points to work the company has done to make sure employees have strong work-life balance and other supports, including resource groups. “We find members of ERGs have a five per cent greater retention rate, which is very valuable to us,” he says.

And increasingly, organizations are looking at the choices teenage girls make in high school. At RBC Capital Markets, Megitt, now a Director in the Global Initiatives Group, gained the support of her division’s Diversity Leadership Council

7 to set up a program that brings in high school girls to visit RBC headquarters and encourages them to study subjects, such as math, that would lead to careers in the financial industry. “If you opt out of the math or science stream, the likelihood is low that you will study business or engineering at university,” she notes.

Air Canada, too, has held splashy events for young women of 15-22 to show them the possibilities of careers at the airline in traditionally male-dominated areas, including aircraft maintenance, baggage handling and, of course, flying the planes. Often, says Chantal Dugas, General Manager, Diversity and Linguistic Affairs, young women simply haven’t considered these fields.

YMCA OF GREATER TORONTO

q Keep on rockin' in the pre-school world: a child care worker at YMCA of Greater Toronto with some of her young charges.

“Employers are addressing the creation of diverse pipelines of talent earlier, not just in the recruitment process,” says Mediacorp’s Leung. “They are looking at students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds and encouraging them to consider careers in areas like STEM or professional services.”

These employers hope that an investment at the high school level will pay off up to half a decade later. It’s an example of the commitment of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers to enhancing diversity and inclusion at every stage, thereby expanding the pool of talented people who can be hired and, no doubt, join an ERG. –Berton Woodward

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

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Diversity and inclusion enhance Agrium’s global reach

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s a global leader in agricultural products, services and solutions, Calgarybased Agrium Inc. is already a highly diversified company both operationally and geographically. So it makes good business sense for the company’s workforce to be as diverse and inclusive as possible.

“As a retailer, you want to be able to present a clear benefit to your clients, wherever they reside globally,” says Mike Webb, Agrium’s Senior Vice President of Human Resources. “So having employees who can relate to cultures around the world and see business challenges through their eyes is what will ultimately make you successful.”

EMPLOYEE DIFFERENCES ARE VALUED AND ALL TALENTS ARE LEVERAGED AT AGRIUM

Having employees who can relate to cultures around the world and see business challenges through their eyes is what will ultimately make you successful.

Mike Webb

Senior Vice President of Human Resources

Diversity has long been a priority for Agrium, reflected in the fact that 2017 marks the eighth consecutive year the company has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers. But over the past year, Agrium has taken its commitment to a new level by setting goals and strategies for further diversifying its workforce.

Key to that effort is getting a clearer understanding of Agrium’s existing employee profile. In 2016, the com-

pany asked its nearly 13,000 North American employees to voluntarily self-disclose their race/ethnicity and military status. A significant number of employees offered their information, which, in turn, helped the organization better understand the diversity of their employee base.

“We learned a lot of new information about our Canadian employees,” says Webb. “With this comes the possibility of establishing new employee resource groups, driven by employee interest, focused on Aboriginal Peoples, visible minorities and veterans.”

When it comes to gender parity the company has made significant progress.

Over the past two years, the representation of women on Agrium’s board of directors grew from 15 per cent to 30 per cent – the highest proportion

in the company’s 85-year history. The next step is to increase representation among senior executives below the board level. The current goal is to have 15 per cent female representation at that senior level by 2019 – an objective that at first blush, Webb admits, might appear somewhat modest.

“What you need to realize is the industry we work in has tended to be male-dominated for many years,” says Webb. “Given the level we are starting from and the labour markets we draw from, we believe this is a realistic goal. I hope someday pretty soon we’ll be talking about something well in excess of 15 per cent representation.”

Nurturing a strong succession pool of young professionals is another priority being pursued by Brent Smith, who, in addition to being Agrium’s

Together we’re cultivating excellence!

We’re honoured to be recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers.

agrium.com/en/careers

Vice President of Proprietary Technology and Innovation, was recently appointed Chair of the company’s Diversity and Inclusion Council.

“We’ve already hit our objective of having 25 per cent of our workforce under the age of 35,” says Smith.

“The next step is to ensure we have programs to retain those employees and to keep them engaged and excited to build their careers at Agrium.”

To that end, Agrium will work closely with their two existing employee resource groups – the Young Professionals Network and the Women’s Inclusion Network – to have diversity and inclusion more visible and tangible across the workplace culture.

Yet another driver for diversity is that, pending regulatory approval, Agrium is set to merge with Saskatoonbased PotashCorp, making the new company the largest crop nutrient company in the world and the third-largest natural resource company in Canada.

“This new merged company would operate in 18 countries,” says Webb.

“We will need to relate to the entire world and the only way you can do that is to have a strong organization built on diversity and inclusion.”

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-month mentorship program for female employees

25%

of Agrium’s workforce are young professionals

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

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Air Canada’s baggage area is no longer a man’s world

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ou’re a petite woman – 5 foot 3.

You’re in your forties and looking for extra work. So what job do you take? Why, Air Canada baggage handler, of course – slinging suitcases of up to 50 pounds and more from conveyer belt to container and back.

That seemingly unlikely scenario is exactly what Amy Ruz did 10 years ago, and what Air Canada is encouraging many other women to do, petite or not. Roles like baggage handling are no longer a male-only domain – every job is wide open at Canada’s leading airline.

Ruz, whose title is Station Attendant, says she loves working with the crews “below the wings” – pilots and flight attendants are “above the wings” – and she would happily recommend it to other women.

You don’t have to have a big body to lift heavy things. They teach you how to lift, and I had a lot of support.

Amy Ruz

Station Attendant

“On my first day of work, the men looked at me like, what’s she going to do? But I earned their respect,” she says.

“You don’t have to have a big body to lift heavy things. They teach you how to lift, and I had a lot of support.”

Born in the northern Philippines, Ruz came to Canada in 1990. “I grew up on a farm,” she says. “I am used to hard work.”

Ruz joined Air Canada in 2007, attracted in part by the flight benefits that all major airlines provide. She has done so well that she now often earns vouch-

AMY RUZ, AIR CANADA STATION ATTENDANT, AT TORONTO PEARSON AIRPORT

ers for First Class tickets that she and her mother use to visit the Philippines.

She has done a number of tasks below the wings. In the beginning, she worked as a connection runner, making sure luggage is transferred to its connecting flight in time. She has put the chocks down in front of the giant aircraft’s wheels.

For First Class passengers, she has had to deal with the allowance of up to 70 pounds per suitcase – “we are required to have two people to lift those bags.”

Now, given her seniority, she works inside the terminal, where the luggage containers arrive from the aircraft, but she is still lifting – and enjoying it. Her

co-workers call her Sunshine, “because I always smile.” She recently took part in an Air Canada video about diversity, and sees more women baggage handlers appearing in the crews, both young and older. “It’s for people who are serious about their work,” she says of her job.

Chantal Dugas, General Manager, Diversity and Linguistic Affairs, says jobs like baggage handling can be an excellent entry level option for women, or men, who want to work with Air Canada. She knows of two people in senior leadership positions who started “on the ramp”. From baggage, a person

can move into training, supervision and ultimately management. The airline also offers tuition reimbursement for outside professional development.

Air Canada is also working hard to attract more young women into the engineering and technical sides of the airline’s work, from aircraft maintenance to piloting, as well as baggage, Dugas says.

“This is a long-term investment, because it means talking to girls at an early age, when they are picking their programs in school or thinking about a career.”

The airline has put on major events aimed at young women aged 15-22, including an open house at Air Canada’s Montreal headquarters which featured problem-solving scenarios that showed girls the chain of roles involved in, say, making sure a non-working in-flight entertainment system was fixed before take-off.

At a higher level, the airline runs a Middle Management Development Program in which half of the participants in 2016 were women. Air Canada also hired 30 female pilots in 2016, up from 11 in 2015.

“The baseline is, how do we position Air Canada as an employer of choice for everyone,” says Dugas. For women who would like to follow in the footsteps of Amy Ruz, the sky’s the limit.

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regional diversity committees in Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver

42.8%

of managers are women

Air Canada is proud to be one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers.

Air Canada is an equal opportunity employer.

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

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Diversity drives innovation, success at Bell Canada

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s a Software Architecture Specialist based in Québec City, Gratiella Nizane works with Bell Canada’s software and technology specialists across the country to design and develop solutions for mobile applications.

“They’re not only in different cities,” she says, “they’re often from different backgrounds as well. Getting different points of view from different team members empowers people and leads to better results.”

As one of only 5,000 Burundi natives living in Canada, Nizane followed her sister to Canada from their home in the small, predominantly French-speaking East African country to study at Laval University. She joined Bell in 2016 after completing her university degree in software engineering.

BELL’S DIVERSE TEAM DRIVES INNOVATION AND SUCCESS IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET

As a gay woman, I can say that Bell’s culture of inclusion is much more than a strategy on paper.

Nanci MacLean

Vice President, In-House Production, Bell Media

“At Bell, you get to collaborate with some of the smartest people in the industry,” she says. “You can succeed and be supported to succeed. And working for the biggest communications company in Canada also means that I get to do some really cool stuff.”

Bell is committed to building a workplace that reflects Canada’s diversity and enables every team member to reach their full potential, says Nanci

MacLean, Vice President, In-House Production for Bell Media in Toronto.

“We’re all unique,” she says, “whether it’s because of age, gender, family status, cultural background, religion, sexual orientation or physical ability.

As a gay woman, I can say that Bell’s culture of inclusion is much more than a strategy on paper.”

MacLean started her career more than 16 years ago as a petty cash clerk.

Since then, she says, “Bell has fostered and mentored me up to the level of Vice President. And I’ve been encouraged to be me from the day I started.”

Now a member of Bell’s diversity leadership council, MacLean works with representatives from across the company to ensure Bell’s culture of

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inclusion is reflected in activities such as recruitment and talent management.

“We want all employees to come to work as themselves,” she says.

As part of its diversity and inclusion strategy, Bell has taken a number of steps to actively promote inclusion.

The company has created several inclusion networks, such as Bell’s LGBT Network, which supports the professional development of LGBT team members. As well, formal guidelines and resources support employees through gender transition, including education for leaders and colleagues.

For the past 11 years, Bell has sponsored career development programs for female executives and has an active Women at Bell network to provide

professional development, mentoring and networking opportunities across the company.

Bell is also a leader when it comes to mental health – the leading cause of workplace disability in Canada. The Bell Let’s Talk initiative, launched in 2010, promotes mental health based on four pillars: anti-stigma, care and access, research, and workplace best practices. In addition to enhanced mental health coverage for team members, Bell trains all managers to be sensitive to mental health issues and was the first company to introduce a national standard for psychological health and safety at work.

Bell continues to look at innovative ways to reinforce its commitment to diversity and inclusion for all members of the Bell team. In 2016, the company introduced a new, more robust diversity questionnaire to get a more complete picture of its workforce and better shape future programs for team members.

“We are always looking ahead to ensure we have an inclusive environment that helps people achieve their potential,” says MacLean. “I was inspired in my career. I hope I can do the same for someone else. I try to impress on them that you can succeed, and Bell will help you to do it.”

9,000+

people leaders completed workplace mental health training

$80M+

committed to mental health initiatives across Canada

your career just got better

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

11

Inclusion at Blakes means being your true self

F

or a long while, Mary Jackson didn’t talk freely about her father’s suicide. She felt that she could have done something more to prevent his premature death and didn’t want to discuss the tragedy.

But now the Chief Officer, Professional Resources at Blake, Cassels & Graydon (Blakes) in Toronto speaks openly about it, encouraged by her firm’s diversity initiatives that support a climate of inclusiveness and support. “I hope my frankness will make it easier for others to share – and live with – their own experiences with mental illness,” Jackson says. “By speaking about it to colleagues, I have learned that others have had similar experiences.

Diversity around the table produces creative energies. So, if we create an environment that values diversity and inclusion, then we will attract the best and the brightest and get the best ideas.

Linc Rogers

Partner

“When you are expending energy covering up your reality, you are not being honest about who you are, and that affects your well-being as well as your work. For too long, for example, members of the gay and lesbian community were restrained when discussing their lives outside of work with co-workers. We are trying to change all that.” She adds, “Inclusion is about ensuring people can bring their whole selves to work.”

Blakes last year launched several programs that encourage staff to speak

LINC ROGERS, PARTNER AND MEMBER OF BLAKES DIVERSITY & INCLUSION COMMITTEE

about challenges arising from their different backgrounds and experiences, including race, religion, sexual orientation and mental health – areas that often have been kept hidden from view. “Inclusiveness is more important than ever,” Jackson says, “as the world is these days increasingly characterized by negative discourse about diversity. People need to feel totally comfortable at work.”

For his part, Blakes partner and bankruptcy specialist Linc Rogers sees a three-stage, and ongoing, evolution in the firm’s diversity policies during his 20 years with the firm. “At first, we were focused on non-discrimination

and non-harassment in the workplace, and our efforts were mostly reacting to negative situations,” he says. “Then, we moved to creating an environment where these issues don’t arise. Now, we are learning how to leverage our diversity and inclusiveness for a strategic and competitive advantage.”

Rogers explains: “We want the best talent, regardless of background. At the same time, we also know that diversity around the table produces creative energies. So, if we create an environment that values diversity and inclusion, then we will attract the best and the brightest and get the best ideas. And from a

At Blakes, we believe that diversity is a strength that helps us better serve our multinational clients in a competitive and international marketplace.

business perspective, presenting a diverse face will also attract more clients.”

Rogers, a long-standing member of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, helped create and implement its Ally Program last year, designed to demonstrate the importance of creating on-the-ground supporters of inclusivity initiatives. Along with a client, Blakes organized a panel discussion on the importance of showing support for diverse colleagues. Later, the participants broke into small groups to consider scenarios that might present an inclusiveness challenge and how to intervene, such as when overhearing a joke that could be offensive to others.

For her part, Jackson says: “It’s powerful for everyone to hear that it’s okay to discuss such issues. If we are to be truly inclusive, we can’t let any barriers get in the way.”

Indeed, Rogers adds that too many lawyers for too many years left their true selves at home. “To fit in, they pretend to be someone else at the office, laughing at stories they don’t find funny, talking about subjects they are not interested in,” he adds. “Instead, if they feel comfortable bringing their authentic personas to work, they will clearly be happier and more productive.”

78%

of managers are women

9th

annual Blakes Diversity Day celebrated last year

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP | joinblakes.com

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

12

CAMH has a diverse range of diversity programs

A

t Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), programs falling under the diversity umbrella are best described, suitably enough, as diverse.

The many and varied initiatives range from increasing the number of Indigenous people on staff to outreach to major corporations to help end the stigma of mental illness.

CAMH is committed to health equity for patients who have sometimes been marginalized by society and have lower health outcomes as a result. For example, CAMH has dedicated teams focused on providing services and supports to First Nations, Inuit and Métis clients. It recruits for Indigenous positions from both urban and rural locations.

Having a Sweat Lodge at CAMH will enable us to provide enhanced Indigenous healing ceremonies as part of clients’ treatment plans.

Renee Linklater

Director of Aboriginal Engagement and Outreach

For three years now, the hospital has also had its own director of Aboriginal Engagement and Outreach. Last summer, CAMH became the first hospital in Ontario to operate a Sweat Lodge on its Toronto premises.

“Having a Sweat Lodge at CAMH will enable us to provide enhanced Indigenous healing ceremonies as part of clients’ treatment plans,” says Renee Linklater, Director of Aboriginal Engagement and Outreach at CAMH. “This is an exciting example of how hospital-based health services can incorporate Indigenous healing processes and create more opportunities for clients to achieve balance and wellness in their lives.”

DIANE LONGBOAT, AN ELDER IN THE CAMH ABORIGINAL SERVICES PROGRAM AT THE SWEAT LODGE

At the other end of the spectrum, CAMH is also involved in assisting the newest Canadians. Last year it partnered with Women’s College Hospital’s Crossroads Clinic to launch a refugee mental health and wellness service called the New Beginnings Clinic.

Kim Bellissimo, Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development, explains that the clinic, whose patients include Syrian refugees, is part of CAMH’s “commitment to supporting health equity and new immigrants who have experienced very difficult and challenging times.”

Another key part of mental health treatment involves helping patients acquire the skills and experience they need to join or rejoin the workforce. To increase understanding of mental health issues among employers, CAMH runs some 100

corporate volunteer events a year with local companies and organizations including financial institutions, police departments, government agencies and Bell Canada.

A typical event includes 10 to 15 visitors and CAMH patients participating in anything from a baking get-together to a sports challenge. “People love it. For patients, it’s therapeutic, a fun event where they meet and interact with different people,” says John Vespa, Director of HR & Volunteer Resources. “For the company, it’s an opportunity for their staff to understand mental health and addictions and remove the stigma.”

Going forward, the focus is on asking companies to outline how they’re going to advance understanding of mental health and addiction at work. “We want them to suggest how they will take it back to their workplaces,” says Vespa.

Diversity Works!

Join CAMH, Canada’s leading hospital for mental health, and help transform the lives of people living with mental illness and addiction.

Visit our website and transform your career.

www.camh.ca

CAMH also recently partnered with Ryerson University to turn its Suits Me Fine clothing store into more of a business operation. Suits Me Fine had already been around for years helping CAMH patients who need everything from special outfits for a job interview or wedding to everyday socks and underwear.

Working with students at Ryerson’s Ted Rogers School of Management, CAMH selected an inventory system for its clothing donations. As items arrive, they are entered into the computer system, tagged, and priced. While the clothing is free, it is assigned a notional value and patients are similarly given a theoretical credit limit to spend to help them when they return to the community, explains Vespa.

Students in retail management at Ryerson helped create training modules for volunteers in the shop, some of whom are past patients. By working at Suits Me Fine, they acquire retail experience to build their résumés.

As CAMH tries to get outside companies to hire former patients, “we’ve had to demonstrate we were prepared to do the same thing,” says Bill Manley, Director, Human Resources - Corporate. During its recent redevelopment, CAMH entered into agreements with contractors to hire former patients. “It’s a quid pro quo type of arrangement,” he says, and everyone benefits.

72.1%

of employees are women

160+

languages available for free, professional interpretation

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

13

CMHC mines a diverse workforce for innovation

L

uisa Daruka says teaming up with other employees she did not know, or barely knew, to come up with ideas for a better workplace made her a “better person” – and demonstrated the innovative power of diversity. Daruka, a Montreal-based training specialist with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), was part of a 10-person team last year that won a corporate-wide innovation competition for its far-reaching proposal to create a workplace that is both more productive and more responsive to employee needs.

To stimulate innovation, you need a diversity of ideas. And to get that diversity of ideas, you need a diverse workforce.

WINNERS OF AN IN-HOUSE ‘DRAGONS DEN’ COMPETITION AT CMHC USED DIVERSITY TO CREATE A BETTER WORKPLACE

Carla Staresina

National Diversity and Inclusion Champion

“No way could I have come up with this plan on my own,” Daruka says. “Collaborating with others from different backgrounds and experiences expanded my horizons. It shows how diversity through employee engagement can produce real innovation.”

The winning effort, both from a vote by many of the Crown corporation’s 1,895 employees and from a Dragons’ Den competition in front of senior management, is called Work Your Way. The team’s plan is based on the view that, “our current beliefs about work are outdated” and proposes a “results-only work environment” where employees are

given more leeway in setting out how they will achieve their goals, including designing their own work day. At the same time, semi-annual performance appraisals would be replaced with an ongoing process so employees would receive near-immediate feedback and managers could keep better track of their activities.

Emily Bashir, CMHC’s Manager of Innovation and Change Management, says the proposal is now being prototyped, and the corporation hopes to start implementing it this year. Bashir’s position, created only about a year ago, is a sign of CMHC’s commitment to innovation through diversity by leveraging the diversity within its workforce.

“Management recognizes that we can’t stand pat,” Bashir explains. “We have to be fearless in the face of change, or we

are going to be left behind. And if we don’t create an environment that is receptive to new ideas and that challenges the way we work, we won’t be able to attract and retain the people we need to thrive.”

The innovation-through-diversity process began in earnest last year with the launch of the virtual environment Ideopolis. It encourages employees to put forward and comment on ideas designed to improve efficiency at CMHC that, among other things, helps Canadians meet their housing needs. Individuals and employee groups across the country put forward 42 Ideopolis submissions that were narrowed down eventually to three teams competing in the Dragons’ Den. Along the way, groups were combined to stimulate further innovation. Says

CMHC is a high-performing organization because of our employees.

Our unique voices and diversity of thought drive our innovation efforts.

Contact us at CMHC.ca/careers

Bashir: “We wanted to break down silos and encourage ideas from all levels and experiences – we wanted to unleash the inner entrepreneur in all of us.”

For Carla Staresina, CMHC’s National Diversity and Inclusion Champion and Vice-President, Affordable Housing, the innovation-throughdiversity equation is very simple. “Our goal is to remain a high-performance organization,” she explains. “To do that you need to be innovative.

“And to stimulate innovation, you need a diversity of ideas, which means listening to employees at all levels.

And to get that diversity of ideas, you need a diverse workforce.”

One of CMHC’s much-vaunted corporate values is, “Believe in each other: we are better together.” Staresina says that means: “Different ideas come when we have different people. Clearly, there is a richer fabric for decision-making when you have a workforce reflecting different backgrounds, ages and genders.”

It is this openness to change at the top that Daruka says made her team’s winning bid possible. “Along the way we were coached by executives who trusted us,” she says. “And we are now all more comfortable in bringing forward other new ideas, because we know we are going to be listened to.”

76%

of employees feel they can have their ideas adopted

72%

believe CMHC encourages individual perspectives to aid the corporation’s success

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

14

A passion for inclusion at Capgemini Canada

I

n 2015, when Alexandra McCalla joined Capgemini Canada, part of the global management and technology consulting firm, she was quickly introduced to the company’s employee resource groups (ERGs). And just as quickly, she found herself deeply and enthusiastically involved in Capgemini’s extensive diversity and inclusion programs.

As a member of the employee network Women LEAD (for Leadership, Excellence, Action and Development), she plunged into a new project called “25 Questions”, in which she helped film and edit short videos of some of the company’s North American women leaders answering questions ranging from how they relax to what advice they’d give to young women intent on developing their careers.

CAPGEMINI STAFF AT THEIR 2016 INNOVATION DAY

Diversity is an ongoing journey, and what I like about Capgemini is it’s dedicated to continuing that journey, to making sure diversity grows at all levels.

Alexandra McCalla

Senior Consultant, Business Transformation Group

“It was a great opportunity to run with something,” says McCalla. “The series has really taken off, and now Capgemini Belgium is implementing our model.”

As the Canadian-born, U.K.-raised daughter of Jamaican-British parents, McCalla also joined the African-American and African ERG – known as “A-Cubed” – and started a Toronto chapter. There she has increased Capgemini’s outreach to university students, particularly through the University of Toronto’s Black Ties Association.

And she is part of the Mentoring Matters ERG, speaking with a senior leader every three weeks for career guidance and advice. But that was still not enough for her. “I’m just generally passionate about diversity and inclusion,” says McCalla.

So Capgemini asked her to attend two important conferences on the topic. One was the 2016 Cities of Migration Diversity Drives Prosperity conference in Toronto. The other was the 2016 Women in Leadership Symposium, organized by the U.S.-based National Diversity Council.

Rounding out her learning, she says, is the company’s own Culture, Bias and the Brain training, an intensive twoday program. “This is what I tell a lot of my friends about who work in other companies, because it is unique to Capgemini, and very special,” she says.

“You learn everything from very scientific elements about the brain to what it takes

to be a good leader and how to understand bias in your day-to-day work.”

In fact, Capgemini is expanding the program and, not surprisingly, McCalla has been asked to join the “train a trainer” initiative. That’s still separate from her day job, where she is Senior Consultant in the Business Transformation Group, specializing in organizational change management.

“Diversity is an ongoing journey,” she says, “and what I like about Capgemini is it’s dedicated to continuing that journey, to making sure diversity grows at all levels, right up to the C-suite.”

There, she gets no argument from Bombay-born CEO Sanjay Tugnait, who held a variety of roles internationally before coming to Canada 15 years ago.

Tugnait notes that Paris-based Capgemini has 190,000 employees globally, and features diversity both in its people and its geographies. The company assigns its

people to consulting projects around the world based on their skills, and Canadian staff are often posted to other countries.

“Capgemini Canada’s diverse and inclusive policies are a true reflection of who we are as a company that celebrates talent,” says Tugnait.

He notes that in addition to internal diversity, Capgemini pays close attention to the diversity programs of the many technology and business services suppliers it uses for its projects. “It’s all about living diversity in the ecosystem, not just within our organization,” he says.

In Canada, Capgemini has long-term relationships with many of the country’s leading banks, insurers, communication firms and utilities. They, too, have a commitment to a diverse workforce, Tugnait says. “At Capgemini, we are strongly committed to imbibe and prioritize diversity and inclusion organizationally. It also enhances our relationship and overall business value with our clients.”

Additionally, he says, “we put a lot of emphasis on retaining our female employees by ensuring the right work-life balance policies in the organization.” This includes making sure they have opportunities to work with top clients, both locally and across the company. And Capgemini Canada works to provide strong professional growth options for everyone. Says Tugnait: “It’s a holistic approach.”

11

employee resource groups

5%

greater retention of employees in ERGs

Proud to be one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2017

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

15

At Capital One, inclusive culture drives innovation

E

ven as an economics student at McGill University, Alex Severance saw banks as conservative, stuffy institutions: not necessarily the best place for a young, gay man.

That perception quickly vanished three years ago when Severance, a Senior Business Analyst at Capital One Canada, arrived for his first day on the job with the Torontobased financial services firm. His team included co-workers with Iranian, Korean and Swedish roots.

Our goal is to create the best experiences for our associates and our customers, and it has to begin with an inclusive culture where every voice is heard and matters.

Christina McClung

CO-OP STUDENTS AT CAPITAL ONE CANADA’S KITCHENER-WATERLOO INNOVATION LAB

Chief People Officer

“It completely shattered any latent fear I had of having to go back in the closet at work,” he says. “And over the past three years, I’ve seen a very deliberate commitment to encouraging diversity and inclusion at Capital One.” By reflecting the community in its associates, the company believes it can better understand its customers. “Our goal is to create the best experiences for our associates and our customers,” says Chief People Officer Christina McClung, “and it has to begin with an inclusive culture where every voice is heard and matters. It’s not only the right thing to do, but it’s ingrained in our culture.”

That commitment begins at the very top. Capital One’s Diversity and Inclu-

sion Advisory Committee is made up of senior leaders who work to align programs, learning and recruitment to the company’s diversity and inclusion strategy. In addition, the company recently launched a Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board, comprising representatives from the diversity and inclusion team, support groups, Business Resource Group leads, and diversity champions from each line of business.

Capital One offers training on a variety of diversity and inclusion topics, including unconscious bias awareness and inclusive leadership. And its Diversity and Inclusion Digital Learning Library includes materials for diversity workshops, a wealth of information on best practices, and recommendations for external speakers on diversity topics.

Pulse, the company’s internal online network, frequently features profiles of associates from diverse backgrounds.

Capital One’s inclusive culture also drives its continual effort to give associates the support and opportunity they need to let their talent shine. Its Business Resource Groups (BRGs) were originally established to give associates from diverse communities the chance to network and share knowledge through a variety of programs, resources and tools. The resource groups include the Asian BRG, LGBTQ+ BRG, Women in Technology BRG, and the Capabilities BRG. “Business resource groups are also tapped by HR for their perspective when developing or updating internal policies to ensure every voice is

heard and valued,” says McClung.

Increasingly, the BRGs are also playing a key role in Capital One’s dynamic corporate social responsibility program by participating in community events to help groups in need.

In the past, Capital One has hosted a career day for Toronto students enrolled in a program for LGBTQ young people. Students learned about the company’s interview process and listened to a presentation from a senior LGBTQ+ associate, who discussed his experiences in the workplace and answered student questions. Capital One has also provided grants to assist the school’s lunch program and to help equip its digital learning lab.

“We’re much more than a financial services provider -- we’re a participant in the community,” says Severance, who serves as co-lead of the LGBTQ+ BRG. “I think that’s pretty powerful.”

Capital One’s dedication to diversity is based on the principle that individual perspectives are shaped by our unique experiences and differences, says McClung. “Having the freedom to bring our uniqueness to the table is when true innovation happens,” she observes, “and that’s when we bring our best self as an organization to our customers.”

55%

of managers are women

350+

associates engaged in a Business Resource Group

We’re proud to be one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers.

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CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

16

CIBC focuses on hiring people with disabilities

A

s CIBC aims to build a workforce that reflects the diversity of its clients, one of this year’s goals is to hire 500 disabled Canadians and really “move the dial,” says Laura Dottori-Attanasio, Senior Executive Vice-President and Chief Risk Officer. “We’ve been focusing on diversity and inclusion for quite some time but when we looked at the representation of persons with disabilities within our team, we believed we could do better.”

Given that CIBC uses metrics throughout its financial services businesses, setting a quantifiable goal made sense. “This is not just aspirational but good for our business and something we will work to deliver,” says Dottori-Attanasio, who is also the bank’s Executive Champion for Diversity and Inclusion.

This is not just a job. I can now see a career path with the possibility of taking on other roles in the bank.

David Francis

Measurement Specialist, IT Risk Standards and Governance

In a recent poll on employment commissioned by CIBC, less than 40 per cent of respondents with a disability reported having a full or part-time job. The poll also revealed that one in four felt their most recent role did not leverage their qualifications well.

Dottori-Attanasio hopes the poll will spur discussion about “barriers to employment and how we can go about removing them. If we can shine a light

LAURA DOTTORI-ATTANASIO, EXECUTIVE CHAMPION FOR DIVERSITY & INCLUSION AT CIBC, AND TIM ROSE, DISABILITY LEAD AT MAGNET, ANNOUNCING THEIR NEW PARTNERSHIP

on this, it should help address some of the biases out there.” The poll helped to kick off a broader partnership between CIBC and Magnet, an online employment network that matches employers with a pipeline of diverse talent.

Since 2015, CIBC has also partnered with Specialisterne Canada to hire employees on the autism spectrum. David Francis, a Measurement Specialist in IT Risk Standards and Governance, was one of the first wave of CIBC recruits.

Diagnosed in his mid-twenties with high-functioning autism, Francis has

a bachelor’s degree and postgraduate certificate in human resources, but had been struggling to find permanent full-time work. “Nobody was willing to give me a chance,” he says.

That changed when he teamed up with Specialisterne, whose services include evaluating the skillsets of job candidates, support for new recruits, and education and awareness training for the employer’s staff to help ensure a smooth transition.

When Francis started at CIBC, he was thrilled to be done with the stresses

Diversity makes all the difference.

CIBC is proud to be one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for the seventh year in a row. We are dedicated to being an inclusive employer, with a team that’s as diverse as the communities we serve.

CIBC Cube Design & “Banking that fits your life” are trademarks of CIBC.

of contract and casual work. “I have set hours, a real routine. I take the train to work,” he says. “I seem to have really clicked with the governance and compliance side of my role here.”

Francis has also been given additional responsibilities since starting with CIBC. “This is not just a job. I can now see a career path with the possibility of taking on other roles in the bank,” he says.

While CIBC encourages openness to allow employees with autism and their colleagues to work together, the level of transparency varies according to the individual’s needs. “I don’t self- identify all the time to everyone,” says Francis.

“I choose who I feel I need to tell.”

From a business perspective, says Dottori-Attanasio, the decision to hire employees with autism is a sound one. She tells the story of a CIBC manager who was initially skeptical but then found herself impressed with the performance of the new hires.

She’s now an enthusiastic promoter.

As for Francis, when asked almost a year and a half after his hiring, if there’s anything he would especially like others to know, he answers: “I really want to say how appreciative I am of CIBC for taking me on and giving me opportunities. They do genuinely care.”

500

hiring goal for Canadians with a disability

600+

members in CIBC WorkAbility Employee Network

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

17

The City of Edmonton mirrors its community

W

hen Cosette Miguel emigrated from the Philippines to Edmonton in 2010, she knew she wanted to work for government but wasn’t sure how to get her foot in the door. She enrolled in an office administration program at Campbell College, which included an eight-week practicum with the City of Edmonton.

That, in turn, led to support work with the City’s Assessment and Taxation Branch. When her manager learned that Miguel had earned a commerce degree in the Philippines, he suggested she pursue a career as an assessor. With financial support from the City, Miguel has been taking further university courses while also working full time. By the end of this year, she hopes to be a fully accredited assessor.

If you decline to recruit visible minorities, Indigenous Peoples, individuals with disabilities and the LGBTQ community, you are excluding some 40 per cent of the talent pool.

Margaret Blair

Director of Recruitment

“When I arrived as an immigrant in 2010, I could never have imagined being where I am now,” says Miguel. “The support I’ve been given by my supervisors and co-workers is really amazing.”

The City of Edmonton’s overall hiring goal is to attract and retain a talented workforce that reflects the community it serves. That community is rapidly growing and increasingly diverse. For example, according to 2011 census data (the latest available), visible minorities comprised

MARGARET BLAIR (4TH FROM LEFT) WITH GRADUATES OF CAMPBELL COLLEGE WHO COMPLETED THEIR PRACTICUMS AT THE CITY OF EDMONTON

21 per cent of Edmonton’s population.

Indigenous Peoples made up 4.5 per cent of the population, the second largest urban Indigenous population in Canada.

In both cases, internal surveys indicate the City’s current workforce almost identically matches those demographics.

The City works to optimize participation from several target populations, including Indigenous Peoples, newcomers to Canada, people with disabilities, students and youth, visible minorities and individuals transitioning from the Canadian Armed Forces. The City is also addressing the gender gap in targeted occupations.

When it comes to newcomers, including many visible minorities, the City works closely with community agencies and educational institutions like Campbell College, which help newcomers and others develop the skills needed to secure gainful employment.

building a great city through diversity AND inclusion For more information, visit edmonton.ca/diversity

In addition to working with other levels of government to increase the participation of Indigenous Peoples, the City is providing cultural training to all employees related to the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

“For myself, as for many others, that’s been a real eye-opener,” says Margaret Blair, the City’s Director of Recruitment. “I’ve learned a lot about the intergenerational impact of residential schools and how we can all make a difference in helping turn things around.”

The City has also placed a strong focus on hiring and integrating into the workforce individuals with intellectual disabilities, a group that often has a particularly difficult time securing meaningful employment.

“We are very proud of this initiative and we know it has made a difference both in our workplace culture and our community,” says Blair. “The City has

tried to take a leadership role in certain areas and this is one of them.”

Social media plays an increasingly important role in all aspects of hiring.

The City’s Facebook recruitment page has well over 100,000 followers and a single two-hour “virtual career fair” can attract as many as 50,000 participants.

Social media is also useful in encouraging greater diversity. For example, a recent online recruitment campaign for the City’s fire cadet program included information specifically targeted at high school students, and their parents, from groups that might not traditionally view firefighting as a career choice. “It seems to be working,” says Blair. “This year, our fire cadet class is quite diverse and includes our first three female graduates.”

Beyond being the right thing to do, Blair sees a strong business case for making diversity and inclusion a recruitment imperative.

“If you decline to recruit visible minorities, Indigenous Peoples, individuals with disabilities and the LGBTQ community, you are excluding some 40 per cent of the talent pool out there,” she says. “Why would any employer want to draw 100 per cent of their workforce from only 60 per cent of the population? Quite simply, you would not be getting the best people possible.”

4,500

employees have received Indigenous Awareness Training

72%

of employees participated in 2016 Engagement and Diversity Survey

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

18

Leveraging diversity at the Ontario College of Trades

W

hen Alyssa Abraham began a four-month internship at the Ontario College of Trades in May 2014, she expected it to be the “typical office environment where staff did their jobs and kept their heads down.” It turned out “it wasn’t as quiet as I thought it would be,”she says. “People were very sociable, and willing to help.”

The College encourages staff to think beyond silos, she says. “If there are certain projects that you need help to do, you can reach across the organization to involve colleagues who have the right skills. They don’t necessarily have to be from your own team. That really impressed me about the College.”

Diversity is not only part of what we do, it’s part of what we are. It’s embedded in the DNA of the College.

David Tsubouchi

CEO and Registrar

She enjoyed the internship so much that, after graduating from the University of Toronto’s Master’s program in industrial relations and human resources, she joined the College full-time in April 2015 as a diversity and labour relations assistant. In January, 2016, she became an HR business partner, a role which she describes as similar to an HR generalist.

The College is the industry-driven, professional regulatory body that protects the public by regulating and promoting the skilled trades in Ontario. One of its main duties is to ensure that individuals performing the work of any of the 23 compulsory trades have

ONTARIO COLLEGE OF TRADES STAFF CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS

the training and certification legally required to practise in Ontario.

Abraham, who was born and raised in Trinidad but immigrated to Canada in 2006, was also pleasantly surprised by the diversity of the College’s staff.

“I could see the diversity just by looking around the office,” she says. “We’re working on leveraging that. If we are representative of our members, we can do so much more for them, because we understand where they’re coming from.”

The College staff certainly reflects the diversity of the province. Females comprise 51 per cent of the College’s workforce and 44 per cent of the executive team. Visible minorities comprise 41 per cent of employees and nine per cent of managers. Aboriginals comprise five per cent of employees; persons with disabili-

ties, six per cent; and LGBT, six per cent.

“Collectively we speak 38 different languages, and our documentationis available in multiple languages,” says David Tsubouchi, the College’s CEO and Registrar. “Diversity is not only part of what we do, it is part of what we are. It’s embedded in the DNA of the College.

You can’t create equity and inclusion just by ticking a box and movingon.”

The College’s emphasis on diversity and inclusion in its hiring and promotion practices reflects its external objectives. “One of our aims is to make sure that we encourage groups that are under-represented in the trades – women, new Canadians and Aboriginals – to look at the trades as a viable career option,” says Tsubouchi.

The requirement for Canadian work

experience often hampers foreign-trained individuals wishing to pursue the same career they had in their homeland. To lessen that obstacle, the College has the Trade Equivalency Assessment.

“If you can show us that your work experience back home is equivalent to the years and scope of an apprenticeship in Ontario, you can go directly to the examination,” says Tsubouchi. “You don’t have to spend three years here gaining Canadian work experience.”

The College also has a diversity council, composed of 17 employees representing all departments. Abraham helped organize the council in 2014, and then became one of its members, representing the HR department.

“When one of the council members hears a great idea from someone,they raise it in that forum for the College to implement,” says Abraham. One such idea was to make diversity, equity and inclusion a part of on-board training for all new employees. The council also organized an event marking International Women’s Day on March 8, 2016, and prepared a booklet informing staff about the holidays of various faiths.

“We’re a vocal group,” says Abrham. “But we decided to start small and grow, rather than jump in and try to do everything at once.”

44%

of executive team are women

41%

of employees are visible minorities

Supporting a diverse & professional skilled trades workforce C O L L E G E O F T R A D E S . C A

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

19

Unleashing the power of connection for individuals and ERGs at RBC

T

he sardonic phrase “Ladies Who Lunch” often conjures up images of well-off, well-dressed women meeting at expensive restaurants for social luncheons during the work week. But these are certainly not the Ladies Who Lunch at RBC, Canada’s leading bank.

“We have taken back the term – we are reclaiming it,” says Rachel Megitt, a Director in the Global Initiatives Group of RBC Capital Markets.

“This is an empowering discussion.”

Since joining RBC in 2011, Megitt has been an enthusiastic part of the bank’s support system for women employees. She is a co-chair of RWomen, an employee resource group for women in capital markets, and she has also created Ladies Who Lunch – an innovative way to help attract young women still in high school to the financial services industry.

This is part of a long-term strategy so that in three, four, five years from now, RBC will be top of mind for these young women.

Rachel Megitt

Global Initiatives Group, RBC Capital Markets

“In our educational system, you make decisions about the courses you are going to take as early as 15 or 16 years old,” Megitt explains. “So if at 16, math is not a subject you’re truly passionate about and you opt out of the math stream, the likelihood of you studying business or economics at

MEMBERS OF RBC EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUPS CONTINUE TO BUILD A SENSE OF COMMUNITY

university is low. You’ve closed a door you didn’t know existed. Part of our goal is to let these young women know that the financial industry and RBC in particular is a great place to be.”

Every March, RBC brings in a group of female Grade 12 students to tour Royal Bank Plaza in downtown Toronto, including its nearly 50,000-square-foot trading floor, followed by a one-on-one lunch with an RBC female employee – becoming the Ladies Who Lunch. This year, the program has been expanded to other areas of RBC including Technology & Operations, Wealth Management and Personal & Commercial Banking.

“This is part of a long-term strategy so that in three, four, five years from

now, RBC will be top of mind for these young women,” says Megitt.

This event is part of the broad variety of programs and initiatives that RBC pursues to support diversity and inclusion in an 80,000-employee global company. Among the key elements are the employee resource groups, or ERGs, like RWomen – networks based on shared identity. Other examples include MOSAIC, for visible minorities, PRIDE, for the LGBT+ community, Royal Eagles, for Indigenous employees, REACH, for people with disabilities, and NextGen, for millennials.

“The ERGs are pivotal to the success of expanding diversity and inclusion within the organization,” says Norma Tombari, Senior Director, Global

Diversity. “They form an invaluable network of peers, coaches and mentors who create a real sense of community.

And they have been growing enormously – every quarter we see more members.”

Megitt joined RWomen to expand her network within RBC. But she found much more. “You come to work knowing you have a whole community behind you,” she says. “It changes your perspective about the organization you work for and builds excitement and commitment. It allows you to ask questions, have conversations, and build relationships.”

It also builds confidence for employees to speak up, or feel ready to take on new challenges. This means the organization also benefits, she notes.

“If you have an empowered team, you have more diversity of thought.”

As an RWomen co-Chair, Megitt also organizes events that include men.

“It’s important that all of us, including our male senior leaders, act as advocates for women in the workplace,” she says.

“Through mentoring events and other sponsoring initiatives, together men and women can play a great role in helping us to achieve gender equality.

At RBC, everyone is committed to diversity and inclusion.”

8

national employee resource groups (ERGs)

15,000

RBCers are ERG members

PROUD

A feeling that results from fulfilling a promise.

We are one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers! That’s because RBC ® follows through on its promise of a great work environment with high performing, collaborative and inclusive teams.

Visit rbc.com/diversity ®™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada.

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

20

Shell embraces inclusion from the top

D

onna Oberg was born with cerebral palsy, a disability that means she has limited use of the left side of her body. But that hasn’t stopped her from enjoying a long and rewarding career at Shell Canada, thanks to a corporate culture that embraces and promotes diversity.

“At Shell, we eat, breathe and live diversity,” says Oberg, who has held nine different positions in her 22 years with the company and is currently Canada Retail Finance Manager. In that capacity, she leads a team of five colleagues who are responsible for ensuring that financial data for the company’s 1,200plus retail outlets are properly reported monthly, quarterly and annually.

At Shell, we eat, breathe and live diversity.

Donna Oberg

Canada Retail Finance Manager

Apart from being an equal opportunity employer, with a suite of policies to promote employment equity, Shell supports affinity networks for women, people with disabilities, people from the LGBTQ community and First Nations, to name a few. The network for those with disabilities, called Enable, has close to 75 members, meets monthly and organizes a number of events annually.

“We have all sorts of networks that are hugely supportive,” says Oberg, who is treasurer of Enable. “We have Diversity Days to highlight the different networks we have at Shell. We all have tables in the lobby where different groups make

DONNA OBERG, SHELL CANADA RETAIL FINANCE MANAGER AND TREASURER OF SHELL’S ‘ENABLE’ NETWORK

presentations to fellow employees and hand out literature to raise awareness.”

Shell’s commitment to diversity starts at the very top of the organization, says Zoë Baldwin, General Manager of Natural Gas Liquids Sales and operations for Canada. “Our overall corporate objective is to become the most competitive and innovative energy company in the country,” says Baldwin, who previously spent two years as business advisor to former Shell Canada President Lorraine Mitchelmore. “Senior leadership, including the president, sees diversity as a key tool to advancing that objective.”

Shell’s openness was immediately apparent to Theresa Acchione, who was first exposed to the culture as an outside consultant. An accoun-

tant, she was employed by a firm and worked at Shell on a contract basis.

“The accounting firm was very maledominated,” says Acchione. “When I came to Shell, one of the things that was obvious was that there were many women in senior leadership positions.

It was very noticeable and helped shape my decision to come to Shell.”

She joined the company full-time six years ago and is currently a senior tax advisor in the finance department.

She and her colleagues are responsible for ensuring that Shell’s various legal entities file accurate tax returns and that tax information is properly reported in financial statements.

“Shell is a very culturally diverse organization,” she says. “We have operations

IN SEARCH OF REMARKABLE PEOPLE. OUR EMPLOYEES ARE AS DIVERSE AS OUR CAREERS Discover remarkable opportunities at shell.ca/careers Shell is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

in countries around the world, which gives you the opportunity to work with different people and different cultures.

I deal with people in India, Manila, Poland, London, the Netherlands and a number of other countries.”

Acchione belongs to the Shell Women’s Network, which publishes a monthly newsletter and organizes a broad array of events such as volunteer days and lunch-hour lectures seminars on professional as well as parenting issues.

In her six years at Shell, Acchione has taken two maternity leaves and was away for a year both times. “The company has been completely supportive,” she says. “They told me to take my leave and my job would be here when I came back. They’ve been supportive with work hours and allow me to leave at four o’clock to pick up my kids.

The flexibility has been amazing.”

Openness and flexibility certainly apply to those with disabilities, says Oberg. She notes that Shell provides specially adapted keyboards for people such as herself who can only work with one hand. The company’s intranet site also has an accessibility portal, which, she says, “helps people procure things that they need to make their jobs easier.

14 4

th

week career development program to help female leaders annual diversity and inclusion week held across Canada, the U.S. and Brazil

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

21

Be who you are... TD lives diversity

A

s a gay man of Jamaican descent, Al Ramsay spent years in the closet both at home and at work. That suddenly changed 12 years ago when he joined TD. “I was out at TD a long time before I was out at home because I felt so super-comfortable about being myself at work,” says Ramsay, the bank’s Toronto-based National Manager for LGBT Business Development.

“I had been weighed down with despair all my life with this secret, and I got lighter automatically.”

I was out at TD a long time before I was out at home because I felt so super-comfortable about being myself at work.

Al Ramsay

National Manager, LGBT Business Development

It was an exciting time for Ramsay and TD. Across all divisions, the company was in the midst of its Diversity 2.0 campaign, a major push to increase diversity and inclusion led by former president and CEO Ed Clark. Current President and CEO Bharat Masrani has taken up the torch and accelerated the effort.

In 2005, TD became the first bank to sign on as a major sponsor of Pride Toronto, organizer of North America’s largest annual Pride celebration. The bold move upset some clients. But TD stood firm, and Clark made it clear that the company would never negotiate its values. “That was the

AL RAMSAY AND TD COLLEAGUES SPORTING SOME OF THEIR FAVOURITE PRIDE GEAR

time,” remembers Ramsay, “when I really, truly knew that this was my home.”

Paul Clark, Executive Vice-President, TD, and Chair of TD’s People with Disabilities Committee, says diversity is a key driver of the bank’s success.

“We have always been committed to creating a place where employees and customers feel welcome and comfortable, regardless of background, religion, race, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation, or any other aspect of their identity,” he notes. “Creating a diverse workforce is a priority for us because it’s the most effective way to bring out the best in people.”

TD has created a full team of talent acquisition specialists who are focused on attracting diverse talent – including a Manager, Aboriginal

Talent Acquisition, who is responsible for establishing relationships with schools, student centres and Indigenous community organizations to build awareness of careers with the bank.

In partnership with several national, Indigenous-led organizations, TD also sponsors scholarship and mentorship programs for Indigenous students.

TD business leaders regularly participate in on-campus networking sessions with students with disabilities, and the company accommodates its deaf and hard-of-hearing colleagues through a full-time American Sign Language interpreter and video relay services using webcams. Visually impaired employees are supported with technology from the bank’s Assistive Technologies Lab, which provides applications, for example, that automatically read e-mails.

TD is proud to be one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers.

TD also maintains 11 regional LGBT employee resource groups across Canada and one of the largest, enterprise-wide LGBTA Pride Networks in North America, with nearly 3,000 members. It also offers an extensive black employee network, and is among the most active corporate participants each year in Black History Month.

“We have robust programs to help employees from all backgrounds succeed at work,” says Clark. “TD is in the people business. We enrich the lives of our customers, colleagues and communities by helping them realize their aspirations.”

Based on employee and customer feedback, TD is also working to ensure that its advertising reflects the diversity of its staff and customers.

Diversity at TD is an ongoing journey, and every year it strives to improve, says Ramsay. “It’s the right thing to do, but it also makes good business sense from a customer and community viewpoint,” he adds. “The beauty of diversity is the diversity of thought, and if you don’t have that, you’re losing out on all these great ideas from people of different backgrounds.

It means everyone has the opportunity to achieve their full potential.”

58%

of managers are women

3,000

LGBTA Pride Network members

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

22

Inclusiveness is critical at the University of Manitoba

W

hen Ruth Shead did post-secondary studies 20 years ago, she says, “outside of a handful of courses, there weren’t many opportunities on campus to learn about Indigenous knowledge and perspectives. There was very little that reflected me and where the Indigenous side of my family comes from.” So Shead, who is Cree and a member of Manitoba’s Peguis First Nation, finds it particularly gratifying to work at the University of Manitoba, where she has been Coordinator of the Office of Indigenous Achievement since October 2014.

We believe it’s imperative to contribute to the success of our Indigenous staff and students, and to advance reconciliation.

CARL STONE (CENTER) WELCOMES STUDENTS TO MIGIZII AGAMIK - BALD EAGLE LODGE

Greg Juliano

Associate Vice-President for Human Resources

The Office of Indigenous Achievement – just one manifestation of the U of M’s priorities of diversity and inclusion – focuses on expanding the First Nations, Métis and Inuit presence at the university among its 30,000 students and 9,000 faculty and staff. And Shead, whose grandmother was a residential school survivor, notes that in 2011, the university was the first in Canada to issue a public apology for having “educated and mentored individuals who became clergy, teachers, social workers, civil servants and politicians [who] carried out assimilation policies aimed at the Aboriginal peoples of Manitoba” at residential schools.

She also points out that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission chose the U of M to host the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, which opened in 2015. “That’s important for me, to be on a campus that has that space,” she says.

In numerous other ways, the university is welcoming to Indigenous students, faculty and staff. Last year, it created an Indigenous Scholars Fund to support the recruitment of six new faculty members of Canadian Indigenous background across different faculties (they join 30 Indigenous faculty). The fund advances the U of M’s commitment to ensuring that every student graduates with a basic understanding of contributions of Indigenous peoples in Manitoba and Canada. The number of

Indigenous faculty and staff has increased 15 per cent over the past two years.

Another 2016 project was the university’s $800,000 Indigenous Initiatives Fund for 22 new initiatives to support Indigenous inclusion among both students and staff.

Over the past decade, the 140-yearold, Winnipeg-based U of M – the province’s only major research-intensive university – has also been at the vanguard of post-secondary institutions becoming more responsive to other traditionally disenfranchised people, including women and racialized groups.

Late last year, after extensive surveys and consultations, the university submitted its first Accessibility Plan to comply with the Accessibility for Manitobans Act. The plan’s campus-

he re ,

wide efforts include an extensive awareness campaign and workshops.

In 2016, the U of M also participated in Winnipeg’s Pride Parade and Pride Festival events. Greg Juliano, the institution’s Associate Vice-President for Human Resources, says his department regularly brings the LGBT-focused Rainbow Resource Centre to campus for student and staff workshops.

Juliano is proud of all of the U of M’s strategies for inclusion, but he notes that the institution is becoming a leader in welcoming Indigenous students, faculty and staff. That makes perfect sense, he says, because Winnipeg has the highest proportion of First Nations and Métis inhabitants – 11 per cent of its roughly 727,000 people – of any city in Canada.

“Focusing on Indigenous success and working with other educational partners to become a global centre of excellence for Indigenous education, research, languages and cultures will create a stronger, healthier future for the city of Winnipeg and the province of Manitoba,” he says. “The Indigenous community is such a fast-growing segment of our population, and we believe it’s imperative to contribute to the success of our Indigenous staff and students, and to advance reconciliation.”

w e s h a r e a s p i r i t o f d i s c o v e r y. u m a n i t o b a .c a / c a r e e r s

join ou r com mu n it y.

61.8%

of managers are women

20+

diversity partnerships with external organizations

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2017

23

Osler puts diversity into action

A

s a physician with William Osler Health System, Dr. Gurjit Bajwa treats critically ill and injured patients at two of the busiest hospital emergency departments in Ontario. Etobicoke General Hospital and Brampton Civic Hospital also happen to serve one of the most diverse populations in Canada.

Fortunately, Bajwa is particularly well suited to his chosen profession.

The emergency physician thrives on the fast pace and challenging nature of the work. And like many of his colleagues, he’s fluent in other languages besides English, so odds are good he can speak directly with his patients.

We’re not just talking about diversity, we’re really putting it into action every day.

STAFF AT WILLIAM OSLER HEALTH SYSTEM

Dr. Gurjit Bajwa

Emergency Department Physician

Osler, located in the western regions of the Greater Toronto Area, has some 1.3 million people in its coverage area. More than half are visible minorities, nearly half are newcomers to Canada and one third do not speak English at home. Osler has interpreters trained in medical terminology, but in the ED timeliness is crucial.

“If I can relate to my South Asian patients and understand their problem, it makes it easier to treat them in a respectful, beneficial manner,” says Bajwa, who grew up nearby and speaks Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu. “And it’s not just me. We have staff from many different linguistic and cultural backgrounds who help make the whole experience more comfortable for all our patients.”

Brampton Civic and Etobicoke General are full-service hospitals, providing a variety of acute care and outpatient and community-based services. Osler, one of the largest community hospitals in Canada, also recently opened Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health and Wellness with an Urgent Care Centre for non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses. Once fully opened in April 2017, the state-of-the art outpatient hospital will also offer an array of innovative services aimed at preventing illness and better managing chronic disease.

“Peel Memorial has been designed with diversity and inclusivity in mind every step of the way. The building’s many accessibility features for people with disabilities and a Multi-Faith Room for prayer and reflection are

just a couple of examples of this,” says Joanne Flewwelling, Interim President and CEO at Osler.

Respecting and accommodating each individual’s unique needs is a hallmark of Osler’s long-standing commitment to diversity. As well as recruiting staff and physicians who reflect the surrounding communities, Osler has taken great care to develop extensive programs and procedures through a diversity and equity lens.

Osler has also established several important advisory groups and mechanisms to provide ongoing feedback and advice. Employees, physicians and volunteers from throughout the organization have embraced the opportunity to participate. Four such vehicles to make their voices heard are the multi-disciplinary Diversity Advisory Group, the

LGBTQ Advisory Group, the Accessibility Advisory Committee and the Women of William Osler – aka WoW! – which focuses on gender equality.

The senior leadership team also plays its part, making sure the organization follows through on its priorities. The goal is to ensure that both patients and staff feel welcome and safe whatever their language, culture, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, educational background or socio-economic status.

It’s a constantly moving target. Osler recently changed the name of its nineyear-old Diversity Office to the Office of Health Equity & Inclusion. Reporting directly to the Chief Patient Experience Officer, the office is responsible for safeguarding patients’ access to appropriate health care and ensuring staff is well prepared to deliver that care.

“There’s an evolution in our thinking,” says Flewwelling of the name change. “We need to incorporate all aspects of health equity and inclusivity and make sure they’re embedded in all the ways we interact with each other.”

For his part, Bajwa says Osler is on the right track: “We’re not just talking about diversity, we’re really putting it into action every day.”

50%

of board of directors are women

300+

employees engaged as Diversity & Equity Change Champions

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