This document discusses diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace. It defines key terms and examines how diverse Ontario is. It outlines the Ontario Human Rights Commission's code grounds and the business case for diversity. The document provides guidance on developing a diversity strategy, embedding equality and inclusion, and managing diversity issues. It addresses topics like social class, LGBTQ issues, and engaging personal commitment to diversity.

1. Diversity, equality and inclusion
by Toronto Training and HR
September 2014
1

2. CONTENTS
3-4 Introduction
5-6 Definitions
7-9 How diverse is Ontario?
10-12 Code grounds of the Ontario Human Rights Commission
13-14 The business case for diversity
15-16 Dimensions of diversity
17-21 A diversity strategy
22-23 Additional considerations
24-25 Characteristics of adaptation to the global work context
26-27 Ways to embed equality and inclusion
28-29 Enhancing inclusion
30-32 Skills required for managing diversity
33-36 Managing equality issues
37-41 Engaging personal commitment
42-43 Diversity in the boardroom
44-45 Social class differences
46-47 LGBTQ issues
48-50 Aboriginal peoples
51-52 Conclusion, summary and questions
2

3. Introduction
3

4. Introduction to Toronto Training
and HR
Toronto Training and HR is a specialist training and
human resources consultancy headed by Timothy Holden
10 years in banking
15 years in training and human resources
Freelance practitioner since 2006
The core services provided by Toronto Training and HR
are:
Training event design
Training event delivery
HR support with an emphasis on reducing
costs, saving time plus improving employee
engagement and morale
Services for job seekers
4

5. Definitions
5

6. • Diversity
• Equality
• Inclusion
6
Definitions

7. How diverse is Ontario?
7

8. • Number of people
• % of Canadian
population
• % of Aboriginal
population in Ontario
• % of 250000 people
who immigrate to
Canada each year
• Median age in
Ontario
8
How diverse is
Ontario?
1 of 2

9. • Number of households in
Ontario
• Male life expectancy
• Female life expectancy
• Labour force aged 25
and over
• % of Ontario residents
between 25 and 64 who
have completed post
secondary schooling
9
How diverse is
Ontario?
2 of 2

10. Code grounds of the
Ontario Human Rights
Commission
10

11. • Age
• Creed
• Disability
• Family and
marital status
• Gender identity
and gender
expression
• Race and
related
grounds
11
Code grounds of
the Ontario Human
Rights Commission
1 of 2

12. • Receipt of
public
assistance
• Record of
offences
• Sex
• Sexual
orientation
12
Code grounds of
the Ontario Human
Rights Commission
2 of 2

13. The business case for
diversity
13

14. • People issues
• Market
competitiveness
• Corporate
reputation
14
The business
case for
diversity

15. Dimensions of diversity
15

16. • Primary
dimensions
• Secondary
dimensions
16
Dimensions
of diversity

17. A diversity strategy
17

18. • Ensure that initiatives and
policies have the support of
the board and senior
management
• Remember that managing
diversity is a continuous
process of improvement, not a
one-off initiative
• Develop a diversity strategy to
support the achievement of
business goals, including ways
of addressing the diverse
needs of customers 18
A diversity
strategy
1 of 4

19. • Focus on fairness and
inclusion, ensuring that merit,
competence and potential are
the basis for all decisions
about recruitment and
development
• Keep up to date with the law
and review policies through
checks, audits and consultation
• Address work-life balance
challenges in ways that take
account of employee and
organizational needs and offer
19
suitable choices and options
A diversity
strategy
2 of 4

20. • Encourage ownership and
discourage risk aversion,
aiming to create an
empowering culture so that
decisions are not passed
upwards without good reason
• Design guidelines for line
managers to help them
respond appropriately to
diversity needs, as they are
vital change agents, but give
them scope for flexible
decision-making
20
A diversity
strategy
3 of 4

21. • Be aware that if your
organization operates
internationally, its approach to
managing diversity will need to
take account of the ways that
individual working styles and
personal preferences are
influenced by national cultures
21
A diversity
strategy
4 of 4

22. Additional considerations
22

23. • Workplace behaviour
• Communication
• Training
• Measures
• Review and reinforce
23
Additional
considerations

24. Characteristics of
adaptation to the global
work context
24

25. • Cultural intelligence
• Global identity
• Trust
25
Characteristics of
adaptation to the
global work context

26. Ways to embed equality
and inclusion
26

27. • Make the business case
explicit
• Obtain executive
sponsorship
• Create a systemic
approach
• Share success stories
• Establish accountability
• Use formal and informal
approaches
• Have a long-term
perspective
27
Ways to
embed
equality and
inclusion

28. Enhancing inclusion
28

29. • People need to be of
approximate equal status
• Have opportunities to get
to know each other in
more personal ways,
establish cross-cutting
ties, and rely less on
stereotypes
• Work together across
roles, levels, and
demographic boundaries
to solve shared problems
through participative
decision making
29
Enhancing
inclusion

30. Skills required for
managing diversity
30

31. • Use a holistic, integrated
approach
• Obtain top management
commitment and
accountability
• Consciously work to
integrate diversity values
into the broader
organizational values
• Use a participative
management style
31
Skills required for
managing
diversity 1 of 2

32. • Integrate responsibility
for diversity initiatives
into other management
functions such as
continuous performance
management and self-directed
work teams
• Integrate diversity
efforts with existing
objectives and programs
• Expect resistance to
change, and take steps
to minimize it 32
Skills required for
managing
diversity 2 of 2

33. Managing equality issues
33

34. • Promoting a culture of
personal responsibility
for treating people with
respect and dignity
• Raising awareness
about the importance of
different perspectives
views and ideas in
connection with
business performance
34
Managing
equality issues
1 of 3

35. • Drawing up
an organization business
case for managing
diversity and making this
clear to everyone
• Assigning responsibility
to key change agents
and influencers to
ensure diversity
management is driven
into core business
practices
35
Managing
equality issues
2 of 3

36. • Thinking inclusively when
devising policies and
procedures to make sure
they are practical and aim
to cater appropriately for
diverse needs and
preferences
• Monitoring and evaluating
policies and practices
regularly to refresh them
and ensure they work
• Tracking the impact of
policies and practices with
relevant facts and figures 36
Managing
equality issues
3 of 3

37. Engaging personal
commitment
37

38. • Making person standards
of behaviour clear to
everyone through
regular and appropriate
communications
methods
• Emphasising the role of
line managers in making
sure policies and
practices are acted upon
38
Engaging
personal
commitment
1 of 4

39. • Providing suitable
training to ensure people
understand what equality
and diversity are and
how to respond to issues
• Auditing the employee
profile to check how
diverse this is by
monitoring personal
characteristics in an
open voluntary and
honest way provides
hard data on which to
judge progress 39
Engaging
personal
commitment
2 of 4

40. • Employees need to feel
confident in providing
personal information and
have assurances that
such information will be
treated sensitively and in
confidence and not be
used against them in a
discriminatory way
• Do not tolerate
harassment and bullying
and be seen to act when
incidents arise
40
Engaging
personal
commitment
3 of 4

41. • Consider introducing
diversity support
networks to identify
ways of managing
diversity issues in ways
that add value to the
organization
• Make equality policies
and statements easily
accessible
41
Engaging
personal
commitment
4 of 4

42. Diversity in the boardroom
42

43. Tackling assumptions
• Conduct a board review
• Get out of the boardroom
• Review the constitution
• Publish your own data
• Try a ‘future director’
• Tap into a new network
43
Diversity in the
boardroom

44. Social class differences
44

45. • Definitions
• Organizational
status
• Class distinctions
• Individual and
collective class work
45
Social class
differences

46. LGBTQ issues
46

47. • Sexual
orientation
• Gender identity
• Gender
expression
• Restrooms and
lockers
• Dress codes
47
LGBTQ issues

48. Aboriginal peoples
48

49. • Partner with schools,
colleges and universities
• Question standard job
requirements
• Review screening, hiring
and advancement practices
• Conduct cultural training
• Hire more than one
Aboriginal person
49
Aboriginal
peoples
1 of 2

50. • Assess business and
employment practices
which could result in
barriers
• Develop an Aboriginal hiring
and retention strategy
• Communicate and celebrate
successes
50
Aboriginal
peoples
2 of 2

51. Conclusion, summary and
questions
51

52. Conclusion, summary and
questions
Conclusion
Summary
Videos
Questions
52