BY PAUL JUNOR
There has been an attack on the work of equity, diversity and inclusive (EDI) training in the United States and in Canada with the recent death of former TDSB principal, Richard Bilkszto in Toronto after attending anti-racism training.
Turner Consulting Group Inc. in a recent blog, responded to attacks on diversity training by quoting from an article in the July 28th, issue of the Financial Post titled, “Employee’s DEI experience a cautionary tale for companies on the perils of wokeism.” The article repeated stereotypes about EDI training. Turner Consulting Group Inc. wrote the blog, “Why EDI really matters,” as a response to the false narratives that have been permeating in the media about EDI.
Based on equity audits that Turner Consulting Group has conducted over the years, it has obtained results that revealed employees are keen on working for employers to ensure their workplaces are fair and equitable.
These are some of the things that employees want their workplaces to be:
- Where they are welcomed and heard
- Where they are hired and can advance based on their skills and abilities rather than who they know or their personal characteristics
- Where their leaders understand the oppressive systems, practices, and attitudes that continue to impact certain groups of employees and the organization’s service users
Furthermore, from focus groups that it conducted with employees, it found the following:
- Women are sexually assaulted and sexually harassed in the workplace; women in leadership positions are being undermined; and women at all career stages face limited career opportunities because they become pregnant, or because people assume that they may become pregnant
- The opportunity for women to advance in organizations with predominantly female employees – is limited simply because they are women
- 2SLGBTQ+ employees face homophobic and transphobic comments from colleagues
- Employees who are Indigenous, identify as 2SLGBTQ+, or who have a non-evident disability feel unsafe sharing their identities at work
- Racialize employees experience overt racism and microaggressions; they are called the N-world, told not to bring their cultural foods to work, isolated and excluded in the workplace, unable to advance despite being more qualified than their colleagues, and sent death threats for getting a job that someone else was expected to get
- Indigenous employees experience overt anti-Indigenous racism: staff openly make racist comments about Indigenous peoples, staff refuse to engage in training about anti-Indigenous racism, and Indigenous employees encounter limited opportunities for hiring and advancement in the organization
- Employees with disabilities are unable to receive even simple accommodations to enable them to engage fully in work and the workplace, have their careers derailed when their disability becomes known, and are forced to go on disability leave when they cannot receive the needed accommodation
Turner Consulting Group lists three imperatives for the case of EDI such as:
Legal imperative
It is important that workplaces abide by human rights, health and safety legislation to ensure that they are free from discrimination, harassment and violence. It is understood that once these policies are enshrined in legislation persons who have disabilities are likely to be promoted.
Demographic imperative
The fact that the population is aging, and the number of retirees is increasing means that there will be openings for new employees who have a variety of skill sets, mindsets, and toolsets. These will create opportunities for individuals who previously faced hurdles to be hired such as: women, racialized people, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQ+, and immigrants.
Business imperative
The positive business outcome from EDI efforts revealed from studies includes:
- Increased ability to attract top talent
- Increased employee loyalty and retention
- Increased creativity and innovation
- Increased organizational performance
- Increased profits
- Decreased human rights complaints and grievances
- Better employee performance
- Improved service delivery
The blog concludes, “EDI is key to a healthy economy. It is a wise and necessary investment in our collective future.”
