ACSESS 10th Anniversary Conference
May 7-9, 2008
RACISM-FREE WORKPLACE STRATEGY
HRSDC – Labour Program
Syed Naseem
Manager
OVERVIEW
 The Racism-Free Workplace Strategy
(RFWS)
 Changing Demographics
 RFWS Challenges
 Educating and Engaging
 Building Strategic Partnerships
 Looking Forward
 Benefits of a Racism-Free Workplace
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RFWS LAUNCH – 2005
 Federal Government launches Canada’s Action Plan
Against Racism (CAPAR) on March 21, 2005
 The Racism-Free Workplace Strategy is HRSDC-Labour
Program’s component of CAPAR
 CAPAR is a horizontal initiative (Citizenship and
Immigration, Justice Canada, Canadian Heritage, and
HRSDC-Labour) designed to strengthen social cohesion,
further Canada's human rights framework, and
demonstrate leadership against racism and hatemotivated crime
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RFWS Mandate
 The RFWS promotes fair, inclusive and racism-free
workplaces
 Elimination of discriminatory employment barriers facing
visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples
 Focus is on private-sector workplaces under the jurisdiction
of the Employment Equity Act (LEEP) and the Federal
Contractors Program (FCP), but initiatives are designed to
reach employers and Canadians generally
 LEEP and FCP employers account for approximately 10% of
Canada’s workforce or just over 1.5 million workers
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CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS
 2006 Census indicates that Canada’s face is changing
 19.8 % or over 6 million foreign-born people in Canada
(highest proportion in 75 years); over 200 ethnic origins
 Over one million immigrants came to Canada between Jan 1,
2001 and May 16, 2006 (3.6% total population)
 Recent immigrants born in Asia (including Middle East) made
up largest proportion of newcomers
 Significant increase in visible minority population (five times
faster than growth rate of total population); largely due to
high proportion of newcomers belonging to visible minorities
…..Continued
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CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS
 Visible minorities account for 16.2% of Canada’s
population (up from 13.4% in 2001)
 Large increase in Aboriginal population in past decade
(grew six times faster than non-Aboriginal population)
 In 2006, Aboriginal people accounted for almost 4% of
Canada’s population
 Aboriginal people increasingly urban and younger than
non-Aboriginal population; unemployment rates remain
relatively high compared with non-Aboriginal population
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RFWS CHALLENGES
 2003 Statistics Canada’s Ethnic Diversity Survey
indicated that one in five visible minorities reported
experiencing discrimination or unfair treatment, most
commonly at work or when applying for a job or
promotion
 2003 Ekos survey, indicates 46% of Aboriginal Peoples
living off-reserve are victims of racism or discrimination
 2005 Ipsos-Reid survey finds that 17% of Canadians
believe they have been victims of racism
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RFWS CHALLENGES
 2007 Léger Marketing found 47% of Canadians admit to
be at least slightly racist, and 92% have witnessed racist
behaviour; 66% of visible minorities who responded felt
they had been a victim of racial comments or behaviours
 2008 Globe and Mail survey indicates that while 48% of
Canadian citizens who responded view the latest census
numbers of 5 million members of visible minority groups
as a positive development, 42% are not sure
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EDUCATING AND ENGAGING
 RFWS promotes fair, inclusive
and racism-free workplaces by:
– Raising awareness of workplace racial
discrimination
– Building networks between
community groups, unions,
employers and key stakeholders in
the employment community
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EDUCATING AND ENGAGING
 Providing tools, resources and direct support
to employers and other clients on racism-free
workplace issues
 Assisting employers in their recruitment,
retention and advancement efforts in relation
to visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples
and with the prevention of workplace conflict
through regional Racism Prevention Officers
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RFWS ACTIVITIES
 August 2006 - Minister Blackburn’s Canadian tour to
promote the Racism-Free Workplace Strategy
 December 2006 with NFB creation of a DVD (6 films)
focusing on issue of racism in the workplace; launch of NFB
“Work for All” website to educate and engage on issues of
racism
 February-April 2007 - 75 awareness sessions to FCP and
LEEP employers across Canada (600 participants)
 April 2007 - Aboriginal employment workshop at Aboriginal
Human Resources Council conference in Ottawa
 November 2007 - “Open Session” with employers, unions,
community groups and employees in Halifax
…Continued
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RFWS ACTIVITIES
 December 2007 - Nine (9) Racism Prevention Officers hired in
regional offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal
and Halifax to assist employers in their recruitment, retention and
advancement of visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples and with
workplace racism-related conflict prevention
 February 2008 - Minister Blackburn’s visit to Halifax to promote
Aboriginal employment
 April 2008 - RFWS workshops at Metropolis Conference in Halifax
 May-June 2008 - “Open Sessions” scheduled in Vancouver, Calgary,
Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal
 Continued development of RFWS resources, including tipsheets,
cultural competency module, business case, resource lists, online
mentoring program
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BUILDING STRATEGIC
PARTNERSHIPS
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National Film Board
Federal Government Departments
Metropolis Project (CIC)
Human Resources Sector Council
Canadian Race Relations Foundation
Canadian Human Rights Commission
Provincial Human Rights Commissions
Private Sector (ACSESS)
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LOOKING FORWARD
 Continued development of RFWS resources,
including tip sheets, cultural competency module,
business case, resource lists, online e-learning and
mentoring program
 Continue to build awareness of barriers facing
Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities in
Canadian workplaces
 Research on costs of racism to Canadian
economy/businesses
 Continued work developing strategic partnerships
in public and private sector
 Forging links with staffing and employment sector
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BENEFITS OF A RACISM-FREE WORKPLACE
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Economic integration is a precursor for social and cultural
integration
A business case for diversity and inclusiveness, particularly in
the face of changing demographics
Fosters a sense of shared identity and belonging in Canadian
society
Racism has negative effect on Canadian economy and GDP:
– “It is estimated that the elimination of the wage gap between
visible minorities and the average wage of all Canadian workers
would increase real GDP 1 percent by 2016. To a lesser extent,
the impact is similar for Aboriginal peoples. The challenge is to
engage every sector of Canadian society in building equal
opportunities in the labour market for all…” (Making a Visible
Difference: The Contribution of Visible Minorities to Canada’s
Economic Growth, Conference Board of Canada, April 2004.)
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THANK YOU
Questions/Comments
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