An employment equity communications strategy is one of the most effective and useful tools available to an organization. A communications strategy will help ensure employees understand employment equity, and help the organization to achieve its employment equity goals. A good communications strategy allows an organization to clearly share the employment equity priorities it is aiming to achieve. Through consultation, the communications strategy helps foster an environment where dialogue is encouraged and promoted. Employees and managers will feel that their opinions, ideas and thoughts have been heard and are considered. Show A communications strategy should be developed early-on in the context of employment equity programming. From the outset, it should be clear who is responsible for developing and implementing the communications strategy. Organizations can choose to delegate the communication responsibility to one individual (preferably a senior executive) or share the work among the employment equity committee. Either way, it is important that any communications be clearly supported from the highest levels in the organization, the union, as well as the employment equity committee if it is to be credible. In the context of an employment equity audit, organizations have to demonstrate that:
ConsultationDeveloping and implementing an effective employment equity plan often involves committing to a significant organizational change process that will ultimately affect all employees. Regularly communicating timely information to all employees is a necessary requirement for success. A second, equally important requirement, is to engage representatives from all levels of the organization in an effective consultation process. Done properly, consultation harnesses the broad experience of the organization’s diverse workforce, substantially improves the information base on which decisions are made, taps into a valuable source of creative solutions, and significantly increases the chances for support of the resulting plan. The challenge for any organization will be to ensure the diversity of the workforce is well represented and that there is an opportunity for all views to be heard. The Act requires organizations to consult and collaborate with employee representatives and bargaining agents about most aspects of the employment equity process. To meet this obligation, an Employment Equity Committee may be established that will:
In addition, organizations must maintain a complete record of consultations, including outcomes and decisions made. If the bargaining agents decline to participate in consultations, the organization must be able to demonstrate that every reasonable effort was made to obtain co-operation. The consultation process involves meaningful dialogue, although arriving at a mutually acceptable decision is not necessarily required. The following are examples of what would not be considered sufficient or meaningful consultation in terms of compliance with the Act:
For more information please consult: Employment Equity Tasks. Suggested approachUsing both interactive and passive communication is the best way for an organization to reach its target audience. Interactive communication can include seminars, meetings, town-hall discussions, and human rights celebrations, or other participatory tools. Passive communication, which generally is written communication, can consist of emails, posters, website information, newsletters, etc. To convey its message, an organization, in conjunction with its employment equity advisory committee, may choose the following approach which comprises six specific steps:
Promising practicesOver the course of many years, the Commission has audited many employers and identified activities that although not required can be very effective at promoting equality in the workplace, including adequate representation of the members of the designated groups. Here are some examples: What is a employment equity plan?An employment equity plan is a plan that aims to create equal opportunities within your company for minority groups and to eliminate the unfair treatment of employees due to their race, gender, or disabilities. The plan should address any problems regarding discrimination in the company.
What are the key points of the Employment Equity Act?The Employment Equity Act is the law that promotes equity in the workplace, ensures that all employees receive equal opportunities and that employees are treated fairly by their employers. The law protects you from unfair treatment and any form of discrimination.
Which of the following are three of the designated groups under federal employment equity legislation?The Employment Equity Act (the Act) identifies the designated groups as: women. Indigenous peoples. persons with disabilities.
What are the examples of employment equity?Examples of equality and equity. The recruiting/hiring process. When a company begins the search for a job candidate and cares about diversity, a strategy is important. ... . Salary. Equal pay and equitable pay are often confused, but they have some key differences. ... . Accommodations.. |