Ontario Construction New staff writer
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and Defence Construction Canada (DCC) were among 14 recipients of the federal government’s 2019 Employment Equity Achievement Award winners.
Award recipients were announced May 20 by Minister of Labour Filomena Tassi to recognize federally regulated private-sector employers and federal contractors for their efforts in implementing employment equity in their workplaces for the four designated groups under the Employment Equity Act: women, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities.
“By identifying and removing employment barriers, employers are helping under-represented groups achieve success in the workplace and contribute meaningfully to Canada’s economic growth,” said Tassi. “Our future prosperity depends on all Canadians being able to fully participate in today’s workforce.”
Tassi says the award recognizes employers that have demonstrated outstanding commitment in implementing their employment equity plans by instituting measures to remove barriers, adopting special measures and/or establishing positive policies and practices to achieve tangible results.
DCC and CMHC were recognized in the Sector Distinction category, which recognizes employers who are inspirational role models in their sector. In addition to demonstrating a strong commitment and achieving success in implementing employment equity in their own organization, these employers also champion employment equity for the sector. which
The Ministry of Labour summarized the reasons each candidate was chosen for the award. The following rationale was used:
DCC
Made a corporate commitment to diversity and inclusion that encompasses the whole organization. Employees from across the country have become involved in moving the organization beyond simply being home to members of the four designated employment equity groups to building as welcoming, respectful and inclusive a workplace as possible.”
CMHC
“Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation believes that inclusion starts with a safe place to call home, which is why CMHC is removing all barriers to housing affordability. Its mission is to ensure that, by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home that they can afford and that meets their needs. CMHC is proud of its diverse workforce and truly believes that the diversity of thought that results from such richness is an asset to its business activities.”
The federal awards also recognize employment equity champions including executives and employer executive teams that have consistently championed employment equity within their organizations and have made broader contributions to diversity and inclusiveness in the workplace.
2019 winners are former DCC president and CEO James Paul and vice-president, finance and human resources Juliet Woodfield.