This week, PSAC put forward comprehensive recommendations to improve the Employment Equity Act (EEA) for workers in federally regulated workplaces to the task force in charge of the legislative review.

For more than two decades, PSAC has been calling for a review of the EEA to ensure historically disadvantaged and excluded workers  have equitable access to career opportunities in the workplace. Numerous reports have drawn the same conclusion – equity groups continue to be under-represented, denied promotions and discriminated against in the workplace, despite workplace initiatives to address these issues. It’s time for the EEA to be thoroughly revised so that it can bring about critical changes.

As part of our research, PSAC gathered feedback from over 5,000 PSAC members, union activists, and the National Human Rights Committee from August to September 2021.

What we heard from PSAC members is that the status quo in staffing processes and employment equity initiatives are failing equity groups:

• The top three barriers for equity-seeking groups in the workplace are promotions (38 per cent), hiring (33 per cent) and recruitment (32 per cent);
• 70 per cent of respondents are unsure whether their workplace has joint employment equity committees;
• 84 per cent of union activists are not consulted on employment equity audits.

It is vital that the government implement our recommendations in order to create real change for more than 1.5 million workers covered by the Employment Equity Act.  As Canada transitions to a post-pandemic recovery, building an equitable and inclusive public service is crucial.

Read PSAC's full submission to the task force

Read PSAC's member survey report

Launched in July 2021, Canada’s Employment Equity Review Task Force is set to release their final report this fall.