Diversity & Inclusion

Our commitment to person-centeredness and diversity is grounded in our dedication to help the people we serve to overcome barriers to achieving their highest potential.

Our organization is striving to create an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected because of their difference – a place where every employee can be themselves so they can reach their potential and help us achieve our business goals. We value and support the diversity of all individuals. We respect and welcome people of different ethnicities, ages, genders, religions, races, classes, physical abilities, mental abilities, nationalities, sexual preferences, and expressions.

We stand up to stereotyping and discrimination of individuals based on these traits. We seek to understand and learn from cultures that might be different from our own, and we encourage our communities to do the same. We are grateful for the opportunities we’ve had to work closely with people from different backgrounds, and we are committed to being an organization in which all people feel safe, accepted,
and heard.

This diversity and inclusion strategy provides us with a road map to create an inclusive workplace. To help us achieve this, we need the commitment of every employee to understand what we are trying to achieve, to work together and be open to change. This strategy is everyone’s responsibility, and we encourage all to get involved

Our Vision

To have a respectful and supportive workplace that enables us to attract and retain a diverse workforce that represents our customers and community.

Our Purpose

This strategy is a two-year plan to help us achieve our goals. It provides a shared direction and commitment for the organization so we can work together to respect and value our diverse workforce and build a more inclusive workplace It comprises of three key goals and identifies the priorities and actions we will take over the next two years. It outlines the key roles and responsibilities and how we will track progress and measure.

Workforce Diversity

Recruit from a diverse, qualified group of candidates to increase diversity of thinking and perspective

Workplace Inclusion

Foster a culture that encourages collaboration, flexibility and fairness to enable all employees to contribute to their potential and increase retention.

Sustainability & Accountability

Identify and breakdown systemic barriers to full inclusion by embedding diversity and inclusion in policies and practices and equipping leaders with the ability to manage diversity and be accountable for the results

Implementation

Roles & Responsibilities

All employees have the responsibility to maintain an environment that is safe, respectful and productive. Everyone has the right to be treated fairly within the workplace in an environment that recognizes and accepts diversity.

We can all contribute by participating in workplace diversity and inclusion activities and opportunities and complying with all anti-discrimination and workplace diversity legislation.

Managers and supervisors contribute by displaying a positive commitment to workplace diversity and inclusion, being role models, fostering an inclusive workplace culture, dealing quickly and effectively with inappropriate behavior and participating in diversity training and encouraging team members to attend.

The success of the strategy is dependent upon the support of everyone in the department. Everyone has a responsibility for contributing to a culture which supports and values diversity and inclusion.

Communication Strategy

We will communicate our work with employees, potential employees, customers and stakeholders through direct email, newsletters, internal trainings, websites, external publications and social media.

Evaluation Methodology

The effectiveness and achievement of our goals for diversity and inclusion will be reviewed and reported quarterly. The report will be provided to the CEO and the executive team. The review will focus on the implementation of the actions, the progress made and successes. It will also identify any adjustments required to improve effectiveness.

The evaluation will include: A qualitative assessment of progress or achievement of the actions and; A quantitative assessment of the impact of the strategy on employee perceptions and experience of the culture of the organization. Data will be gathered from satisfaction surveys, exit data, 1-month follow-ups and suggestions submitted via the suggestion box.

The outcome of the evaluation and review will guide the development of further action plans.