December 11, 2023 Ottawa, Ontario Employment and Social Development Canada
The Employment Equity Act was created in 1986 to help knock down the barriers that prevent marginalized communities from achieving their full potential in the workplace. It mandates fairness, equality and equitable inclusion for employees in federally regulated workplaces.
Since 1986, Canadian workplaces have changed and evolved, as has Canada. This progress has necessitated an Act that has also evolved to reflect the realities of today's workplaces. The Government launched a task force chaired by Professor Adelle Blackett to undertake the most comprehensive review of the Employment Equity Act since its introduction in 1986. That report is very clear: "Diversity is fact. Inclusion is a choice. Equity is the law."
Today, Minister of Labour, Seamus O'Regan Jr. and Professor Blackett announced the release of the Employment Equity Act Review Task Force's final report: A Transformative Framework to Achieve and Sustain Employment Equity. The report represents the culmination of the Task Force's extensive research and engagement with Canadians, stakeholders and subject matter experts, providing concrete, independent and evidence-based recommendations on how to bring the Act into the 21st century.
The release of the report comes on the heels of Human Rights Day, which is celebrated every year on December 10 to mark the day on which the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.
The Government welcomes this report and the reality it presents as an opportunity for reflection, for assessment, and for action. The Government broadly supports the Task Force's recommendations for transforming Canada's approach to employment equity. In response, Minister O'Regan announced the Government's initial commitments to modernize the Act. These include:
- Creating two new designated groups under the Act: Black people and 2SLGBTQI+ people;
- Replacing the term "Aboriginal Peoples" with "Indigenous Peoples," and updating the definition to include First Nations, Métis and Inuit and to ensure it is consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act;
- Replacing the term "members of visible minorities" with "racialized people" and updating the corresponding definition; and
- Aligning the definition of "persons with disabilities" with the Accessible Canada Act to make it more inclusive.
These are first steps. The Government will soon begin consultations with affected communities and organizations representing unions and employers, on how best to effectively implement these changes, and how other Task Force recommendations could be implemented. The Government will then introduce legislation to bring the Act into the 21st century.
On behalf of the Government, Minister O'Regan thanks Professor Blackett and the Task Force for carrying out this important work. Their recommendations will shape the path forward for employment equity in Canada. Thanks to their efforts, a renewed Act will be created that better reflects the realities of today's Canada and will create a more vibrant and diverse workforce. Most importantly, it will help build a country where everyone has a fair and equal chance to reach their full potential.
