The Joint Employment Equity Committee (JEEC) provides a national forum that includes the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS), the Public Service Commission (PSC), Bargaining Agents and departmental representatives. Others with Employment Equity and diversity responsibilities or expertise, including a youth representative, may be invited to collaborate on the development, implementation and revision of public service wide policies and practices that may impact designated groups under the Employment Equity Act.
The JEEC acts as the NJC's vehicle for Employment Equity and diversity analysis, and provides the NJC with Employment Equity and diversity related input, as well as, advice and recommendations related to emerging policies and practices in the federal public service:
- Undertaking timely and relevant analysis/review from an Employment Equity and diversity lens. Analysis from an Employment Equity and diversity lens is understood as:
- Considering the Employment Equity impacts and implications of policy and practice modifications on the designated groups;
- Ensuring that intersections among designated groups—including gender identity and sexual orientation related issues are considered when impacts and implications are assessed.
- Periodically undertaking system wide reviews and analysis on Employment Equity and diversity related issues.
To achieve its mandate, the JEEC relies on:
- Transparent and timely sharing of Employment Equity and diversity related information among all Committee members (including Employment Equity data summaries gathered through various employer controlled systems);
- A consistent approach to referring issues to JEEC for consultation, collaboration, input and analysis; and,
- Engagement with the NJC Executive with regard to emerging priorities.
Committee Advisor: Laura Mackenzie
Quarterly Report to the National Joint Council (March 2024)
Regular activities:
- The Committee has met three (3) times since the last Council meeting and held one (1) ad-hoc meeting.
- The Committee received two (2) presentations from the Knowledge Circle of Indigenous Inclusion (KCII) on the Impact of Official Language (OL) Modernization on Indigenous Employee Inclusion. It was noted that OL and Indigenous languages, should not be mutually exclusive but rather have an intersecting journey. It was recommended that the government endeavor to work collaboratively on employment equity, diversity and inclusion (EEDI) initiatives.
- The Committee received a presentation from the Public Service Commission (PSC) on the gaps in data and research related to employment equity and OL. Gaps were identified as OL data being decentralized and misunderstanding the experiences of language learners across groups. The Committee recommended that EE data on career development, hiring, and language training be consistently collected and shared to ensure accurate and timely information to support EEDI policy and programs.
- The PSC re-opened consultations on assessment methods for bias and barriers in the context of selection of employees for retention or lay-off (SERLO) and the use of seniority in the context of SERLO. The Committee recommended that the Clerk’s Call to Action be front and center when carrying out the SERLO exercise. It was also recommended that departmental representation remain in alignment with their multi-year goals for recruitment, retention and promotion of Indigenous peoples, Blacks, and other racialized people and that reductions do not result in disproportional impacts on EE groups. An analysis on representation of those with 2, 5, and 10 years of experience was recommended and that EE analysis pre- and post-SERLO be conducted and shared.
- The Committee discussed the recently released Report of the Employment Equity Act Review Task Force with Professor Adelle Blackett, Chair of the Task Force.
- The Committee was consulted on the PSC’s development of their Priority and Risk-Based Audit Plan 2024-2027.
- The Privy Council Office (PCO) asked for input into a reporting template for the Clerk’s issued Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service. The template will be for departments to report on their successes and challenges since the 2021 direction.
- The Committee submitted their input on the Restorative Engagement Program to the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS).
Outstanding items:
- Nil
Next meeting: May 8, 2024