Women and members of visible ethnic minorities report
experiencing or witnessing more judgement, misconduct and
inequality in the workplace
TORONTO, Nov. 25, 2020
/CNW/ - A new survey from ADP Canada and Maru/Blue
demonstrates that Canadians believe their workplaces have room to
improve when it comes to issues of diversity and inclusion.
Specifically, working Canadians who belong to a visible ethnic
minority1 reported that, at their current place of
work, they have experienced or witnessed more judgement or
misconduct based on ethnicity or skin colour, more negative impacts
on their career and greater feelings of discomfort in the
workplace. However, there are some positives, as the survey
also noted greater awareness of these issues among younger workers,
with nearly half (47%) of employed Canadians aged 18 to 34 saying
they would be more loyal to their organization if they took a
stand, publicly, on diversity and inclusion.
Members of Visible Ethnic Minorities More Likely to State
they Witnessed Problematic Behaviours at Work
Of those surveyed, thirteen per cent of all working Canadians
agreed that they have witnessed or experienced judgement or
misconduct at their current workplace based on ethnicity or skin
colour. However, 31 per cent of working Canadians belonging to a
visible ethnic minority reported such behaviours - twice the number
of all working Canadians.
Moreover, respondents identifying as members of visible ethnic
minorities also reported negative effects on their career
advancement, with 32 per cent of respondents in this category
believing their ethnicity has negatively impacted their career
growth, and 19 per cent saying prejudice or lack of diversity and
inclusion based on their ethnicity has influenced their decision to
leave an employer.
Looking at gender, 19 per cent of working women reported
witnessing or experiencing judgement or misconduct based on gender
and 22 per cent believe their gender has negatively impacted their
career advancement.
___________________________
|
1 Visible
ethnic minorities as reported in the poll include Aboriginal or
Indigenous, Black, Afro American or Black Canadian,
Asian or Asian Canadian, Arab (North Africa, Middle East,
West Asia), Caribbean, Latin, Central and South American
and others
|
Diverse Voices Not Being Heard
A quarter (25%) of working Canadians don't feel comfortable
expressing their opinions at work, those belonging to a visible
ethnic or religious minority feel even less comfortable (31% and
39%, respectively). The same was true for women in the workplace,
with twenty-seven per cent of working women saying they don't feel
comfortable expressing their opinions at work.
Additionally, half of employed Canadians who belong to a visible
ethnic minority (50%) believe their background is not represented
within the make-up of their management team.
"With visible ethnic and religious minorities reporting more
discomfort about sharing their ideas at work, employed Canadians
within these communities may not have a strong sense of belonging
at work and may not feel their input is heard when trying to
participate in discussions," said Reetu
Bajaj, HR Advisor at ADP Canada. "These same individuals may
also perceive that they are not represented within their management
team."
Diversity and Inclusion Becoming a Priority for Workplaces
Around the Country
As best practices, some employers are prioritizing policies and
programs on diversity and inclusion. According to the survey,
one-in-three working Canadians (32%) believe that diversity and
inclusion are priorities for their organization.
When asked how diversity and inclusion were integrated into the
corporate culture of their organization, Canadian workers
identified composition of the workforce, onboarding and training,
and surveys and employee feedback as the primary vehicles.
However, 36 per cent of survey respondents felt that while their
organization is taking steps in the right direction, diversity and
inclusion is still not considered a priority.
"The fact that respondents who identify as being part of the
Canadian cultural majority report being less likely to
experience or identify problematic behaviours in the workplace,
indicates that these issues may be more widespread in the workplace
than many Canadians think," said Reetu
Bajaj, HR Advisor at ADP Canada. "While our survey also
shows that conversations have started in half of Canadian
workplaces, employers must be proactive in implementing a diverse
and inclusive culture within their organizations to be respectful
of human rights."
Younger Workers More Loyal to Organizations Who Publicly
Support Diversity and Inclusion
Workers aged 18 to 34 and visible ethnic minorities were the
most vocal when it came to issues of diversity and inclusion. Top
asks from these groups include a more diverse leadership team at
their organization (30% and 32% respectively), and more events or
initiatives that encourage cultural learning and inclusivity (29%
and 27% respectively).
Nearly half of these younger workers (47%) also said they would
feel more loyal to their organization if it publicly took a stand
on diversity and inclusion, twice the response rate than that of
the general working population (25%).
"There is undeniable evidence that diverse workforces support
more productive and creative organizations," added Bajaj. "With the
survey indicating that the younger generation of workers is more
committed to social justice in the workplace, expectations around
diversity and inclusion may be heavily-weighted attributes of ideal
employers as the future of work emerges."
Additional Findings:
Judgement and misconduct in the workplace
- Younger working Canadians are more likely to have noticed or
experienced these issues (31% of respondents aged 18-34, compared
to only 19% of respondents aged 55+).
Putting employee loyalty to the test
- While 87 per cent of working Canadians said prejudice or lack
of diversity and inclusion has never influenced their decision to
leave an employer, 19 per cent of those belonging to a visible
ethnic minority said prejudice or lack of ethnic diversity has
already influenced their decision to leave an employer.
- 47 per cent of working women indicated they would leave their
employer if they found an employee of the same level, but different
gender, received higher compensation.
On conversations surrounding diversity and inclusion
- In addition to questions on diversity and inclusion within the
workplace, participants were asked about recent events, and what
they felt generated the most dialogue within their organization.
Many Canadians felt public gatherings within their city generated
the most dialogue (24%), followed by action from the Canadian
government (19%) and sports teams taking a stand (18%).
Regional Findings:
- Ontario
-
- Over a third (36%) of Ontario
employees feel it is their company's top priority to take steps to
improve diversity and inclusion at their workplace.
- More than half (53%) of Ontario employees are aware of policies that
support diversity and inclusion at their workplace.
- Québec
-
- A majority (81%) of Québec respondents say they have never
experienced or seen judgement or misconduct in their current place
of work - the highest in the country.
- Less than half (42%) of Québec employees were aware of
diversity and inclusion policies in their organization, the lowest
in the country.
- 30% of Quebecers say their workplace includes diversity and
inclusion through composition of the workforce (i.e. diverse groups
are represented at all levels).
- British Columbia
-
- 41% of participants from British
Columbia think their organization is taking steps towards
improving diversity and inclusion.
- 40% of B.C respondents say their workplace includes diversity
and inclusion through composition of the workforce.
- Alberta
-
- 29% of Alberta employees don't
feel comfortable expressing their opinions at work.
- 34% of Albertans say their workplace includes diversity and
inclusion in onboarding and training.
- Prairies (Manitoba and
Saskatchewan)
-
- Employed Canadians in the Prairies are most likely to have
experienced or seen judgement or misconduct at their current place
of work (29% vs 25% overall)
- Compared to all working Canadians, workers in the Prairies are
the least likely to feel they can voice a contrary without fear of
negative consequences (65%).
- Atlantic
Canada
-
- 28% of Atlantic Canadians said public gatherings in their city
and reports by the media generated the most dialogue within their
organization relating to the Black Lives Matter
movement.
Survey Methodology
An online survey of 1,546 working Canadians (including those
working full and part time) was completed between October 23 and 29, 2020, using
Maru/Blue's online panel. For comparison purposes, a probability
sample of this size has an estimated margin of error (which
measures sampling variability) of +/- 2.4%, 19 times out of 20.
About ADP Canada
Designing better ways to work through cutting-edge products,
premium services and exceptional experiences that enable people to
reach their full potential. HR, Talent, Time Management, Benefits
and Payroll. Informed by data and designed for people. For more
information about ADP Canada visit www.adp.ca or follow us on
Twitter @ADP_CDA.
SOURCE ADP Canada Co.