1 BMO Financial Group
Diversity and Workplace Equity

2004 Employment Equity Narrative Report – BMO Financial Group (BMO)
Introduction
Established in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group (TSX, NYSE: BMO) is a highly diversified financial services organization. With total assets of $265 billion as at October 31, 2004 and more than
34,000 employees around the world, including over 6000 in the United States, BMO provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and solutions. Under the federally regulated legal entity, there are 22,875 permanent employees.
The company serves clients in Canada through BMO Bank of Montreal, the personal and commercial banking business, and BMO Nesbitt Burns, one of Canada’s leading full-service investment and wealth management firms.
In 2004, BMO contributed more than $29 million in corporate donations, sponsorships and events, supporting communities, charities and not-for-profit organizations in Canada.
At BMO Financial Group, creating and maintaining a diverse workforce and an equitable, supportive workplace is a strategic business priority. Diversity and workplace equity are so integral to the enterprise, that they are clearly reflected in our Corporate Values. Developed by the President and CEO’s
Management Board Executive Committee, our Corporate Values include the following statements:
 We care about customers, shareholders, communities and each other.
 We draw our strength from the diversity of our people and our businesses.



We insist upon respect for everyone and encourage all to have a voice.
We keep our promises and stand accountable for our every action.
We share information, learn and innovate to create consistently superior customer experiences.
As these values represent BMO’s core beliefs, it is significant that “diversity” and “respect” are explicitly mentioned. They stand as our collective commitment - to each other, to our customers, to our shareholders and the communities of which we are a part.
Quantitative Review
The following comments are offered to assist with interpretation of this report.
Application of NOC System
The Occupational Code data must be analyzed in the context of the National Occupational Classification
(NOC) system prescribed by the Employment Equity Act. The NOC system does not include “sales and service” job descriptions that accurately capture the skills, expertise, and responsibilities required for the positions occupied by the majority of BMO’s front-line employees. In the absence of an appropriate sales and service NOC, we have captured these employees under the “Administrative and Senior Clerical”
EEOG, which is a misrepresentation of their roles. A proposal to amend the NOC system was forwarded to Human Resources Development Canada from the Canadian Bankers Association in 2000.
Variances
The 2004 reporting year saw the implementation of the revised edition of the National Occupation
Classification - NOC 2001. This edition introduced a technical level for information technology occupations that roll into the “Semi-Professional and Technician” EEOG. The increase in the “Semi-Professional and
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Technician” category, not reflected in Form 4 Hiring and Form 6 Termination activities, is a result of reclassifications of the former group of “Computer Systems Analyst” occupations of the 1991 NOC Code system that had belonged to the “Professional” category. This shift to “Semi-Professional” from
“Professional” also accounts for the decrease this year in the first salary quartile of the “Semi-Professional” category. It equals that of last year’s “Professional” EEOG.
Statistical Progress
Women
Representation remains strong at all senior levels. (No gaps were noted during the Audit process). In
2004, the representation of women on BMO’s Canadian-based “Senior Manager” team remained steady at
31% — significant progress from 1991 when the representation of women in executive roles was 9% 1 .
In addition, the representation of women in “Middle and Other Manager” and “Professional” categories increased in 2004. This occurred while the Total BMO population in these occupations decreased in the organization. Hiring data further confirms this advancement of women at BMO. While overall hiring activity in these two occupation groups was down considerably in 2004, the percentage decrease was not experienced to the same degree for women in these categories. In fact the increase in hiring rates experienced over the past few years continued (See Table 1).
Table 1 Comparison of the Hiring of Women in Middle and Other Manager and Professional
EEOG
Hiring Overall
2004
Hiring of
Women 2004
Hiring Rate for
Women 2004
Hiring Rate for
Women 2002
Middle & Other
Manager
↓ 15% ↓ only 3% 45% 37%
Professional ↓ 6% ↓ only 5% 37% 31%
And while Total BMO terminations in the “Senior Manager” and “Professional” EEOGs decreased by 13% and 6% respectively, those of women in these categories were down by 80% and 12% respectively in
2004.
Visible Minorities
Members of visible minorities continue to be well represented in BMO’s workforce as the overall representation continues to steadily increase to that of 21.2% in 2004. An actual increase of 4% in the population of visible minorities occurred, while the Total BMO population decreased by 1%.
The representation of visible minorities in the “Middle and Other Manager” EEOG has increased to 15%.
Numbers of visible minorities in this category actually increased while the Total BMO “Middle and Other
Manager” population decreased. Hiring and promotion data further confirm efforts to address the gap noted in “Middle and Other Manager” EEOG during the Audit process. The downward trends experienced in the “Middle and Other Manager” population in Total BMO were not experienced in the same way by the visible minority “Middle and Other Manager” population.
1 In 1991 BMO released the findings of its employee Task Force on the Advancement of Women.
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The numbers of promotions awarded to this designated group were actually higher than those in 2003
(See Table 2). In addition, the hiring rate of visible minorities in “Middle and Other Manager” is up to
19.6% up from 17.8% and the promotion rate is up to 19% from 14.7%
Table 2 Comparison of the Hiring, Promotion and Representation Levels of Visible Minorities in Middle and Other Manager to Overall Workforce
EEOG Hiring
Overall
Hiring of
Visible
Minorities
Promotions
Overall
Promotion of
Visible
Minorities
Population
Overall
Population of
Visible
Minorities
Middle &
Other
Manager
↓ 15% ↓ only 7% ↓ 20%
↑ 3% ↓ 0.4%
↑ 4.5%
The advancement of visible minorities is also evidenced in “Senior Manager” and “Professional” categories
- the number of visible minorities in “Senior Manager” increasing by 7% compared to an increase in this category of only 1.5% in Total BMO; and increasing in “Professional” by 3% while the population of
“Professional” in Total BMO decreased by 2%.
Increases in representation and promotion rates also confirm efforts to address the gap noted in the
“Clerical” EEOG during the Audit process. The representation of visible minorities in the “Clerical” EEOG has increased to 20.2% from 18.6%. The promotion rate has increased to 27.1%, up from 21.8% in 2003 and 18.22% in 2002. The number of promotions of visible minorities in the “Clerical” EEOG increased by
4%, while the number of “Clerical” promotions in Total BMO decreased by 16%. In addition, a 3.4% increase in the visible minority “Clerical” population occurred, while the Total Clerical population decreased by 4.5%.
The proportion of visible minority employees earning more than $50,000 per year has progressively improved. In 1996, 16% of BMO’s visible minority population earned over $50,000 per annum. In 2004 this increased to 44%, remaining above the percentage in BMO’s Total workforce of 43%.
Aboriginal Employees
In 2004, the representation of Aboriginal people in BMO held to 1.3% (no gaps were noted in any of the
EEOG categories during the Audit process). The representation of Aboriginal employees in “Senior
Manager” EEOG increased by 50% and in “Professional” EEOG the number of Aboriginal employees increased in 2004 by 18%. This compares to an increase of only 1.5% and a decrease of 2% respectively in these EEOGs in the Total BMO population. In addition, the number of Aboriginal hires in the
“Professional” EEOG increased by 33%, while the hires in Total BMO “Professional” were down by 6%. A similar increase took place in the “Administrative and Senior Clerical” category – the number of Aboriginal hires increasing by 25% while overall BMO hires in the category were down 7%. Aboriginal employees also continue to be strongly represented in higher salary ranges. In 2004 as in 2003, 30% of BMO’s
Aboriginal employees earned more than $50,000 per year compared to 26% in 2002, 19.5% in 2000 and
6.6% in 1996.
The termination rate of Aboriginal employees remained below 2% for the fourth year in a row
–
dropping to
1.1% in 2004 from 1.5% in 2003 - significantly down from 2.7% in 2000 and 3.1% in 1999. In addition, total terminations in BMO’s Aboriginal workforce decreased 27% while terminations in BMO’s Total workforce increased 1.3%.
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Similarly dramatic comparisons occurred in several EEOGs (see Table 3). In the “Clerical” EEOG, the termination rate continued its steady decline since 1999. In 2002 the rate dropped to 2.1%, the first time it has been less than 3% since 1998. In 2003 it dropped to 1.6%, the first time it has been below 2% since
1993 and in 2004, it dropped to 1.2%.
Table 3 Comparison of Termination Levels of Aboriginal People to Overall Workforce
EEOG Terminations Overall Terminations of Aboriginal People
BMO Overall ↑ 1% ↓ 27%
Professional
Administrative and Senior Clerical
Clerical
↓ 6%
↑ 16%
↓ .1%
↓ 56%
↓ 29%
↓ 21%
In addition, promotion activity confirms the success of advancement efforts. The promotion of Aboriginal employees in the “Administrative and Senior Clerical” and “Clerical” EEOGs experienced increases in both number and rate, while the number of promotions in these occupations in Total BMO decreased considerably (See Table 4).
Table 4 Comparison of Promotion Levels of Aboriginal People in Administrative and Senior
Clerical and Clerical to Overall Workforce
EEOG
Administrative and Senior Clerical
Clerical
Promotions Overall
↓
↓
12%
16%
Promotion of
Aboriginal People
↑ 17%
↑ 40%
People with Disabilities
The representation of people with disabilities held at 3.0% in 2004. As previously noted, BMO experienced a decrease in total hiring in 2004. This downward trend was experienced in the hiring activity of people with disabilities as 2004 marked the transition that began in 2003 of the outsourcing of some of BMO’s recruitment processes. Learning curves are an inherent part of any such major organizational change.
BMO’s commitment to the recruitment of people with disabilities has resulted in our recruitment partner securing a Diversity Recruitment Specialist. We look forward to this Diversity Specialist having a strong impact on the outreach and recruitment of people with disabilities.
Despite the general decrease in hires, positive movement did take place in both “Professional” and
“Administrative and Senior Clerical” hires (See Table 5). The hiring rate of people with disabilities in
“Professional” category increased to 2.3% from 1.6% - the first time it has been above 2% since at least
1997. In “Administrative and Senior Clerical”, the hiring rate increased to 1.5% - the highest it has been since 2000.
And while total terminations at BMO increased 1%, the number of terminations of people with disabilities decreased by 7%. The termination rate dropping for the third year in a row – to the lowest it has been since 2000. And in further addressing the gap confirmed during the Audit, the number of terminations of people with disabilities in “Administrative and Senior Clerical” dropped significantly, compared to an increase in the overall terminations in the category (See Table 5).
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The rate dropped to 1.7% from 3.8% - below 2% for the first time since 1999. The percentage of
“Professional” employees with disabilities leaving the organization was also considerably less than the total percentage for this category (See Table 5).
Table 5 Comparison of Hiring and Termination Levels of People with Disabilities in Professional and
Administrative and Senior Clerical to Overall Workforce
EEOG Hires Overall
Hires of
People with
Disabilities
Terminations Overall
Terminations of
People with
Disabilities
Professional ↓ 6% ↑ 38 % ↓ 6% ↓ 16%
Administrative and
Senior Clerical
↓ 7% Constant ↑ 16% ↓ 47%
With the reassignment of occupations under the new NOCs, the highest level of representation of people with disabilities this year is in “Semi Professional and Technician” at 3.9%. In 2004, 47% of employees with disabilities continued earning more than $50,000 per annum up from 41% in 2001 and compared to
27% in 1996 and 43% in BMO’s total workforce in 2004.
Planning and Accountability
BMO’s commitment to establishing and sustaining a diverse workforce and an equitable, supportive and inclusive workplace was first articulated in 1989’s Corporate Strategic Plan. From 1991-1995 BMO published four task force reports to identify the barriers facing employees from designated groups. In 2004 these reports were updated with a new preface from President and CEO, Tony Comper and re-released to all employees. The reports are now available online (both on the employee intranet and for customers and external audiences at bmo.com) and are accessible pdf documents.
To ensure continued progress, BMO carefully monitors its success on a regular basis. The CEO’s Council on the Equitable Workplace, established in 1992 meets quarterly to review the implementation of BMO’s diversity strategy. Employee-initiated Diversity Councils (employees organized by line of business) and
Affinity Groups (employees organized by issue, e.g. employees with physical disabilities and Deaf, deafened and hard of hearing employees) raise awareness, foster dialogue and model inclusive behaviour.
BMO’s commitment to diversity and workplace equity is supported by a comprehensive infrastructure, which includes goal setting, monitoring and evaluation. Through an extensive suite of online management information reports, the CEO and all BMO executives monitor progress towards these goals on a quarterly basis. Via annual performance appraisals, executives – including those managing provincially regulated lines of business – are accountable for the achievement of these objectives. Results are further measured and monitored through the Diversity Index (DI) from the Annual Employee Survey (see page 14). The DI is one of the factors used to assess overall executive performance and compensation.
Technology and Solutions continued their meticulous scoring system applied to four Diversity Evaluation
Criteria that resulted in a factor being applied to the executive compensation scorecard.
Further, a “Human Capital Metrics Report” is circulated monthly to all Human Resources Executives and includes the most recent diversity data as part of a ‘scorecard’ for the Human Resources division.
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Qualitative Review
Outreach/Recruitment/ Partnerships
BMO Financial Group continues to invest in strategic initiatives focused on candidates from each of the designated groups.
Outreach
Outreach to the designated groups continues. The concomitant objective of every initiative is to simultaneously enhance awareness of financial services careers – including non-traditional roles – and augment BMO’s profile within specific communities.
Through our Volunteer Grants Program, BMO provides funds to hundreds of organizations that our employees support with their volunteer efforts. In 2004, because of employee involvement, we contributed
$446,000 to various non-profit groups. Among these were the Asian North American History Timeline
Project, a new educational web-based project sponsored by the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society
(VAHMS), and other social services agencies.
As mentioned previously, BMO’s HR provider, Hewitt, now has a dedicated recruiter to diversity. This role will focus specifically on sourcing candidates from the designated groups.
Again in 2004, BMO made a conscious decision to partner with organizations that provide opportunities to traditionally underrepresented communities. BMO Financial Group continued to participate as a member of the Advisory Board of the Urban Financial Services Coalition (UFSC). UFSC is an organization for minorities in the financial services industry in the United States and Canada. As part of this involvement,
BMO facilitated a workshop by Susan Black of Catalyst to present her research on women and business to its board. BMO Financial Group was a sponsor of UFSC’s gala event, The Opening Bell. BMO also sponsored other events for the visible minority community such as MicroSkills.
Another major initiative is our continued relationship with Ryerson University’s unique Tri-Mentoring program. BMO mentors provide support and career advice to Visible Minority and Aboriginal students to facilitate their transition into the workplace. In 2004, 18 BMO mentors participated in the program from across the enterprise. Two individuals have received full-time placements at BMO from this program.
BMO has developed and maintained strong relationships with several post secondary institutions. BMO is a founding sponsor of the Aboriginal MBA program at the University of Saskatchewan. This program is focused on Aboriginal business and economic development. Our Senior Vice President of Aboriginal
Banking is an honoured member of the Circle of Founders.
BMO is also involved with the INRoads Youth Internship program which focuses on developing business and leadership skills in visible minority and Aboriginal youth. In 2004, BMO sponsored two Aboriginal students from the University of Saskatchewan in the INRoads internship program. The Vice President of
BMO‘s Saskatchewan retail banking division is an active member of the INRoads Board of Directors.
BMO remains committed to educational opportunities for Aboriginal youth. More specifically, BMO provides 21 bursaries annually to Aboriginal high school students through the Canadian Council for
Aboriginal Business’ Foundation for the Advancement of Aboriginal Youth. A BMO staff member participates on a committee to review applications.
To interest Aboriginal students in careers in financial services, BMO Aboriginal employees started a speaking tour of Aboriginal schools starting in late 2004 with a presentation to grade 11 students in
Kahnawake on the wide variety of jobs available in financial services.
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BMO has also been working collaboratively with representatives from the five Financial Institutions and
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada to partner as an industry in building sustainable relationships with
Aboriginal communities to encourage their participation in careers in the Financial Services Industry.
Recognizing the affirmative impact that the provision of banking services can have on local economies,
BMO has eleven full service branches and four community banking outlets that serve Aboriginal communities. These facilities not only reflect a valued business relationship but also provide employment opportunities for members of the Aboriginal community.
BMO is equally involved in the community of people with disabilities. In order to recruit talented employees, BMO engages in specific outreach and recruitment activities to attract applicants with disabilities. BMO partners with community agencies such as the National Educational Association of
Disabled Students, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work, the Canadian Hearing Society, and Strategic Employment Solutions (SES). BMO is an active member of the SES Business Advisory Council. This council is made up of partnerships between corporations, community agencies, all levels of government and people with disabilities. The goal of this council is to remove barriers to employment for people with disabilities and to develop and share best practices.
Following sensitivity training led by the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association (CHHA), BMO sponsored employees to attend the weekend CHHA conference in Orillia. This experience provided these individuals new external networking opportunities with members of the Deaf, deafened, and hard of hearing community. These individuals also gained new insight and awareness about hearing loss and tools to help them more effectively integrate into the workplace. BMO’s successful involvement in this event has led to the opportunity to host this conference at our Institute for Learning in 2005.
In addition, BMO again participated in job fairs and campus recruitment and sponsored several organizations and events. Once again, BMO was the official corporate sponsor of Abilities, a job fair for people with disabilities in York Region. As part of this, BMO delivered an employer session and provided the opening remarks. Approximately twenty BMO employee volunteers spoke with job seekers that day.
As the Platinum sponsor of NEADS (National Educational Association of Disabled Students), BMO delivered a session on the transition from school to work at their annual conference in Ottawa.
In addition, BMO was an official corporate sponsor of the Terry Fox Hall of Fame, and the Great Valentine
Gala. The Step Ahead Affinity Group of employees with physical disabilities co-coordinated BMO’s participation in this year’s People in Motion event.
As well as outreach with external agencies, members of BMO’s Diversity and Workplace Equity team also attended university career fairs with our recruitment partners, Hewitt.
Members of the Deaf, deafened and hard of hearing Affinity Group (WAVES) once again took the initiative to engage BMO in Mayfest 2004 – a celebration of deaf culture organized by the Ontario Association of the
Deaf. The BMO table was staffed with several interpreters for passersby and with many BMO employees who have taken American Sign Language classes offered through the Affinity Group’s Lunch and Learns.
In support of Fife House (which provides affordable housing and support services for people living with
HIV/AIDS) and the 519 Church St. Community Centre, BMO was again a Platinum sponsor of the Pride and Remembrance Run in June 2004. Augmenting our sponsorship, 30 employees volunteered their time as participants and organizers. Also in June 2004, BMO was a title sponsor of Fashion Cares, Canada’s
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largest gala fundraiser in support of the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT). Over 170 employees volunteered their time at the event.
BMO’s Possibilities Youth Scholarship Program distributed $44,000 in scholarships to Aboriginal and visible minority students as well as students with disabilities in their final year of high school across
Canada.
In the fall, BMO’s Senior Manager of Human Resources in Halifax delivered a presentation to the local HR professionals association on BMO’s best practices in diversity. This Senior Manager has since been appointed to the Greater Halifax Business Leadership Network (GHBLN) as the Steering Committee Chair.
The GHBLN is an employer-led coalition of business, government, and community organizations dedicated to improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Once again, BMO was the presenting sponsor of the Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
This high profile award, offered by the prestigious Rotman School of Business acknowledges the creativity, innovation, and success of women entrepreneurs. As well, BMO maintained its partnership with the
Canadian Women’s Foundation, whose focus is to help stop violence against women, to help low-income women out of poverty, and to build self-esteem for girls. CWF also works to build women’s economic independence by funding self-employment training and social purpose enterprise in communities across
Canada.
BMO is also a corporate member of the Women’s Executive Network (WXN). Female employees attend this high profile speaker series and WXN events every month and gain valuable career insight. Five of
BMO’s most senior women executives were listed on their Top 100 Women in Business list.
Maintaining this visible commitment to women’s advancement in business, BMO Financial Group’s
President and CEO, Tony Comper, served as the Chair of the Catalyst Canadian Advisory Board and a member-at-large of the international Catalyst Board. He has also recruited other key Canadian business leaders to demonstrate their personal commitment by joining the Advisory Board. In 2004, BMO sponsored a groundbreaking study produced by Catalyst titled The Bottom Line: Connecting Corporate
Performance to Diversity which articulated a clear link between gender diversity and corporate performance.
BMO also participates in the Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health.
The Roundtable consists of business, health and education leaders who have undersigned the proposition that mental health is a business and economic issue. Recognizing the business case for a focus on employee well-being including people with invisible disabilities, BMO’s President and CEO, Senior
Executive Vice-President of Human Resources and Strategic Management, and the Director of Employee
Engagement Initiatives are active members of this group. BMO sponsored the CEO Survey on Mental
Health Workplace Issues in 2004.
Recruitment
BMO’s recruitment strategies are as numerous and as diverse as our community partnerships.
Again this year, BMO actively engaged in a relationship with Greater Vancouver Business Leadership
Network (GVBLN). The GVBLN is an employer-led coalition of business, government and community organizations dedicated to marketing the benefits of hiring qualified individuals with disabilities, improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities and providing diversity awareness training. Some of the benefits of participation in GVBLN include exposure to a pool of qualified applicants with disabilities –
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as evidenced by their support of programs such as Ability Edge – onsite assessments, and access to best practices in this area.
BMO employees in Vancouver are also involved with Face to Face in the Financial Sector, which is part of the National Access Awareness Week. In 2004, BMO employees were available to conduct informational interviews with job seekers with disabilities. The goal of the interviews is to provide people with disabilities an opportunity to learn about different employment opportunities in banking.
In addition, BMO has strong relationships with several other associations specifically for the recruitment of persons with disabilities and visible minorities in the Clerical EEOG. These associations include the Centre
Génération Emploi, an employment assistance program for immigrants; the Association québécoise des
personnes de petite taille; the Montreal Association for the Blind; the Black Community Resource Centre; and Hirondelle, immigrant reception and integration services.
In 1999 the Canadian Bankers Association partnered with Career Edge, to offer an internship program called Ability Edge for graduates with disabilities who are interested in gaining work experience in the financial services sector. Drawing on college, university and vocational graduates, the program provides work experience and the invaluable bridge between academia and business.
BMO’s ability to take the leadership role with this program is facilitated by the integrated support we are able to provide in accommodating individuals with disabilities in the workplace. Since the program began in 1999, BMO has now hosted a total of 71 interns. In 2004, for the third year in a row, BMO was recognized for creating the largest number of Ability Edge internships by any Canadian employer, a total of
19 internships in 2004. Fifteen of those interns were eligible for placement and seven have been hired into full time positions in BMO. (Four of these hires are explained in more detail below.) All placements have been made in an area of under-representation identified during the Audit process. As well, five BMO employees were nominated by interns for the 2004 Mentor of the Year Award, which recognizes coaching, support, and on-the-job assistance to interns.
As part of the Ability Edge initiative in 2004, BMO piloted a project involving the placement of hard of hearing interns into Customer Service Representative positions in branches. This initiative uses adaptive technology to accommodate hard of hearing employees in customer-facing roles. In an innovative use of face-to-face technology, two TTYs are joined with a TTY line simulator which allows employees to type messages directly into the TTY allowing the customer to receive messages in real time. BMO also utilizes audioloop technology. This adaptive technology allows the employee to hear clients with more clarity; especially in instances when lip reading is impossible. Branch managers and staff also participated in sensitivity training that provided background information on types of hearing losses and generated awareness on inclusive ways to interact with an individual who has a hearing loss. American Sign
Language Interpreters and computerized notetakers provide human support for meetings and training. Of the five individuals participating in this initiative, four have become full-time employees.
BMO has retained American Sign Language interpreters two half days a week to support employees who are Deaf, deafened or hard of hearing.
In 2004, BMO partnered with Career Edge on a new initiative, Career Bridge. Aimed at new Canadians,
BMO has placed a particular focus on visible minorities and currently has one intern in this program.
BMO is a partner in the Homeward Bound program. This is an innovative job-readiness and employmenttraining program for single mothers. As part of the program, a Training Industry Council has been formed
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and it is made up of the major banks, technology companies and three levels of government. The purpose of the Training Industry Council is to make sure that the training in the program is effective and applicable to today’s workplace. BMO participated in a number of Career Awareness Days to inform the program participants about the types of jobs that may be available in the companies that make up the Training
Industry Council.
As new recruiting software is rolled out, we look forward to being able to better monitor our success in attracting designated groups and tracking the diversity of the candidate pool during the recruitment process through to the slate of candidates that are presented to hiring managers.
Retention
Employee Affinity Groups and Diversity Councils also play a strong role in the retention of Aboriginal employees and employees with disabilities. Several Diversity Councils have Aboriginal sub-committees comprised of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal employees focused on retention and career development.
Employees with disabilities are working with BMO to continuously assess and address potential barriers specifically related to technology integration, inclusion and accommodation. To ensure BMO’s workplace is technologically inclusive, an Adaptive Technology Services (ATS) team is working to create a technologically inclusive, barrier-free environment by establishing standards, processes and implementing systemic technological solutions.
Creating a Supportive Environment
Training
At BMO Financial Group, there is an on-going commitment to incorporate equity and diversity issues into core training programs and courses.
In 2004, BMO launched a specialized HR professional curriculum aimed at strengthening the strategic business skills of our Human Resources division. The business case for diversity is a case study in the program. As well, as the curriculum is enhanced and other components developed, diversity will become a stand-alone module with the purpose of ensuring HR professionals understand the business case for an inclusive workforce.
Additionally, our internal Employee Assistance Program (EAP) continued implementing its successful workshops and seminars incorporating the topic of invisible disabilities. Twenty presentations covering the topic of invisible disabilities in the workplace were delivered to almost 350 managers. Over 1200 employees participated in EAP’s introductory workshop which covers EAP’s offerings.
Members of the Office of Diversity and Workplace Equity continued to present and facilitate training sessions designed to underscore the importance of embedding diversity into BMO’s transnational strategic objectives and insight into how to implement an effective diversity strategy. Three training sessions were provided to the Investment Banking Group’s Diversity Council in preparation for launching diversity awareness training across the country in 2005. The Private Client Group facilitated three American Sign
Language sessions in 2004.
Although many business schools still struggle to recruit women into their MBA programs, 45 percent of the
Dalhousie MBA graduating class of 2004 were women, up from 36 percent of the first graduating class in
1999. Developed by BMO in 1996, this unique MBA program enables top BMO performers to earn an MBA in financial services, at BMO's expense, while continuing to work.
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Diversity Councils, Affinity Groups and Awareness Building
Everyone – employees, managers and executives - have a vital role to play in making a diverse workforce and an equitable and supportive workplace a day-to-day reality at BMO Financial Group.
Employees across BMO Financial Group are actively involved in increasing awareness and advocacy for diversity and workplace equity. A key strategy for employee involvement is through the Diversity Councils and Affinity Groups. Members of diversity councils and affinity groups act as ambassadors for diversity and workplace equity—providing advice and support to the business unit's executive team/organization on issues related to the advancement of diversity and workplace equity and meeting regularly with employee groups to explain diversity and workplace equity initiatives.
Diversity councils and affinity groups are a catalyst for transforming our culture to a more inclusive and open environment; one that provides opportunities for all employees to fully contribute to BMO’s business success.
One example of their ability to make change is BMO’s Adaptive Technology Services Team which was the initial idea of the Blind and Visually Impaired Affinity Group. ATS also actively works with members of the
Deaf, deafened and hard of hearing Affinity Group to come up with innovative solutions to communication barriers in the workplace.
To celebrate National Aboriginal Day, the Aboriginal Sharing Circle Affinity Group coordinated a two hour
Aboriginal celebration for a few hundred employees. The celebration included Aboriginal dancers, drummers and the teachings of an Elder. The event raised awareness about Aboriginal peoples’ culture and traditions.
As well, several members of the Aboriginal Sharing Circle represented BMO at the National Aboriginal
Festival at the SkyDome. The Aboriginal Sharing Circle members acted as role models to Aboriginal Youth at this event by sharing their experiences at BMO.
BMO’s National Personal and Commercial Client Group Office held a multiculturalism day in June featuring booths from global destinations. There were cultural teachings at each booth and as employees visited the booths, they had a passport stamped. A closing speech was presented by the President of the Personal and Commercial Client Group, one of BMO’s top executives.
A number of lunch and learn sessions were hosted by Diversity Councils in 2004. One topic that was hosted several times was “Mental Health and Addictions in the Workplace”. This was delivered by a psychiatrist from the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health.
In addition, BMO’s Diversity Councils in both the Private Bank and the Investment Bank held lunch and learns throughout the year featuring guest speakers from the organization.
Employees continued to play a key role in Junior Achievement's Diversity in Action program. A full day program, it is delivered in grade 8 classrooms across the GTA and is comprised of five modules: Gender,
Age, Ethnicity, Persons with Disabilities, and Sexual Orientation. 30 BMO volunteers delivered the program to 15 Toronto-area schools. In addition, BMO employees developed and delivered training for this program to volunteers and partners from both BMO and other companies.
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Work/Life Balance
BMO has a number of policies and programs in place to help employees balance work and life.
One example is our People Care Days policy, a simple process for granting paid time off for personal matters, which cannot be scheduled outside of work hours. Rather than defining a set number of days, the policy is designed to be flexible. Paid time off can range from half an hour to a few days depending on the particular need. It is used by employees, at the discretion of their managers, for such things as medical appointments for self, children or aging parents, and religious or cultural holidays.
As well, a Flexible Work Arrangements policy allows employees the opportunity to work from home, work shortened weeks and/or share jobs. Like People Care Days, employees and managers work out a mutually agreeable work arrangement.
BMO provides Taking Care, a free, 24-hour childcare telephone referral service. BMO also provides free eldercare information, counselling and referral service to help employees with concerns they might have about an aging relative. Both Taking Care and eldercare are initiatives of BMO’s internal Employee
Assistance Program which has been externally accredited by the Employee Assistance Society of North
America (EASNA).
In 2004, BMO opened up three new “Multi-Purpose Quiet Rooms” in our office buildings for a total of 8 located in Toronto and Montreal. These rooms are available to accommodate employees' needs for a private, personal retreat facility for activities including, but not limited to multi-faith prayer, quiet meditation and spirituality and for nursing mothers.
Employee Communication & Consultation
Communication
BMO’s commitment to diversity and workplace equity is communicated to employees regularly. BMO’s diversity initiatives are included in its Annual Report and Corporate Social Responsibility Report . BMO’s enterprise-wide communication vehicle, @work, featured several diversity-related stories on broad, relevant topics including the business case for diversity and the significance of BMO’s Task Force Reports.
BMO’s corporate Intranet portal was also used as a key communication vehicle to showcase events such as Mayfest, People in Motion and celebrate National Aboriginal Day and the U.N. Day of the Disabled.
Many Diversity Councils also have their own web sites which they update regularly to showcase their initiatives.
President and CEO, Tony Comper sent an email to all employees when the Task Force Reports were relaunched in November underscoring the importance of those reports: “The pioneering, myth-shattering report to employees produced by that first task force [on women], along with those that followed in the early 1990s – on the Advancement of Aboriginal Employment, the Advancement of Visible Minorities and the Employment of People with Disabilities – produced nearly 100 action plans and a cultural revolution that has quite simply transformed BMO.”
The re-launch was completed using a detailed communications strategy which included a number of communication vehicles: Internal announcements and stories, adding new pages to the Intranet and
Internet as well as a press release and advisory. To relaunch the Task Forces, BMO hosted a major event
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on its executive floor attended by key stakeholders (employees, academics and non-profit partners) who had helped make the action items set over a decade ago a reality.
Consultation
Several mechanisms are used to capture employees’ attitudes and opinions related to employment equity and diversity. This feedback plays a critical role in BMO’s culture change process.
Two of the key vehicles for capturing feedback from employees are BMO’s Diversity Advisory Councils and
Affinity Groups. Meeting regularly, these groups share information on implementing workplace equity at the local level.
To ensure that employees are satisfied with BMO’s workplace accommodation policy process, BMO surveys individuals who have received accommodation support during the year. Implemented in 2003, results again indicate a satisfaction rate of 90%.
Another important mechanism used to measure employee perception is BMO’s Annual Employee Survey
(AES). The AES measures opinions about workplace issues, including the enterprise’s commitment to a diverse workforce and an equitable, supportive workplace. The survey is available to all employees via the
Intranet, Internet, telephone and is accessible using adaptive technology such as JAWS and ZoomText.
In 2004, BMO again asked employees to measure if BMO’s Corporate Values are “lived” in their work groups. Scores for this question were very positive.
As well, a Diversity Index assesses employee perceptions of diversity and diversity-related issues and in particular whether specific demographic groups of employees think that progress is being made against actions on these issues. In 2004, participation in the survey was at a record high: 84% of employees participated. All diversity-related questions are trending upwards. For instance, the question “My manager ensures his or her employees have an equal opportunity to advance regardless of gender, race, age or disability” has risen by ten percentage points in the past two years alone.
Conclusion
We were honoured this year to have our commitment to creating a diverse workforce and an equitable, supportive and inclusive workplace recognized by several external organizations. BMO was again selected as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers in 2004 by Mediacorp Canada Inc. and Maclean’s magazine. As well, BMO was listed as a top employer for Visible Minorities by Canadian Business. MicroSkills, a community organization dedicated to assisting women, visible minorities and new immigrants, awarded
BMO its “Corporate Spirit Award” in recognition of our enterprise-wide human resources/people management best practices. The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business honoured BMO with a goldlevel Progressive Aboriginal Relations award for initiating Aboriginal community economic development.
BMO’s commitment to diversity and workplace equity helps to ensure our company has highly talented and motivated people who can deliver a superb customer experience. BMO has come a long way, but there is much more to be done. In 2004, President and CEO, Tony Comper announced a new, enterprise-wide initiative, “Above and Beyond” which will meticulously assess BMO’s diversity practices across the entire enterprise. Like the four Task Force Reports BMO released over a decade ago, the study’s results will shape our diversity strategy for the next ten years to ensure that BMO maintains a leadership role in its commitment to achieving a diverse workforce and an equitable, supportive and inclusive workplace.
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