Ministerial Statement in Response to the Auditor General’s Report on Inclusion in the Workplace for Racialized Employees

OTTAWA – October 19, 2023 – The Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, today issued the following statement in response to the Auditor General’s report on Inclusion in the Workplace for Racialized Employees:

“Every public servant deserves to work in an inclusive, respectful environment free of discrimination. This is a priority for me, my colleagues and the Government of Canada.

The Government of Canada continues to work on several fronts to create a federal public service that upholds Canada’s incredible diversity as a strength and fosters a deep sense of belonging among all public servants.

In line with the Clerk’s Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service, considerable work has been undertaken throughout the Government of Canada to address racism and discrimination in the workplace.

This includes:

•  developing strategic frameworks for equity, diversity and inclusion through employee engagement and consultation;
• establishing Anti-Racism and Diversity and Inclusion Secretariats that work closely with stakeholders to lead the coordination and implementation of strategies and frameworks;
• continuing the Mentorship Plus Program to support the professional growth and development of employees from employment equity and equity seeking groups;
• promoting and using recruitment and staffing options to increase diversity and hire beyond representation gaps; and
• supporting mechanisms to encourage employees to share lived experiences, discuss issues, and obtain support.

The Auditor General’s report outlines that while many actions have been taken to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment experienced by racialized employees in the public service, more needs to be done to:

• make sufficient use of data to guide efforts and track progress;
• address the fear of reprisal disproportionately perceived by racialized employees when raising complaints of racism; and
• strengthen accountability for behavioural and cultural change among leadership through organizations.

Collectively, we welcome the recommendations from the Auditor General and will continue to work with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and other partners to ensure processes and measurements are in place to support workplace equity and inclusion for all public servants.

Ensuring that employees feel safe to raise complaints of racism to senior leaders without fear of reprisal, and fostering a culture of leadership within the public service that supports measured progress against equity and inclusion outcomes, will guide the work ahead.

To that end, the Government of Canada has committed to:

• establish and implement performance measurement frameworks to assess and report on equity and inclusion outcomes in the federal public service;
• undertake data-informed analysis to understand how racialized employees experience the workplace in comparison to others to take actions to correct situations of employment disadvantage;
• examine existing complaints resolution processes and ensure that complaints are received and managed by trained and experienced professionals;
• collect and analyze information gathered through complaints resolution processes for racialized employees in comparison to others to contribute to preventing and resolving racism in the workplace.; and
• establish expected behaviours needed for an inclusive work environment and against which performance will be assessed for employees.

The Office of the Auditor General’s Report is an important reminder of the efforts that need to continue within Canada’s public service. The Government of Canada remains steadfast in our commitment to fostering a respectful workplace that is equitable and inclusive for all public servants.”

Associated Links

• Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service
• Letters on the Implementation of the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service