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Affirmative Action and Employment Equity

Explore the concept and history of employment equity in Canada and the US, addressing systemic barriers and promoting equal representation. |

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Affirmative Action and Employment Equity

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  1. Affirmative Action and Employment Equity March 18, 2002

  2. Employment Equity: What is It? • employment equity (def): ensuring that employers identify and remove employment barriers...and take appropriate special measures to ensure the representation of disadvantaged groups consistent with their availability in the labour force

  3. Employment Equity: Why? • groups in society that have faced historical and continuing discrimination • systemic barriers to employment of disadvantaged group • underrepresented in overall workforce • underrepresented in specific industries/job categories – e.g. pink ghetto • underrepresented in upper management – e.g. “glass ceiling” • time alone will not correct the problem – requires government intervention

  4. Canada and the United States • which is more likely to adopt employment equity? • why? • political culture • equality of opportunity • equality of results

  5. Canada and the United States • which is more likely to adopt employment equity? • why? • political culture • equality of opportunity (United States) • equality of results (Canada)

  6. Canada and the United States • which is more likely to adopt employment equity? • why? • political culture • equality of opportunity (United States) • equality of results (Canada) • context...

  7. Context – “The American Dilemma” • strong American commitment to political principles • egalitarianism – “all men are created equal” • individualism and personal liberty • emphasis on freedom from government • history of slavery, racism and segregation • history in conflict with principle of egalitarianism • solutions (usually relying on government) in conflict with principle of individualism and limited gov’t

  8. Affirmative Action in the United States – “Keys to the Kingdom” • Equal Pay Act 1963 • Civil Rights Act 1964 • affirmative action -- 1965 • “You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains...and then say you are free to compete with all the others, and still just believe that you have been completely fair.” Lyndon B. Johnson, 1965 • programs and policies to actively encourage/enforce proportional representation of disadvantaged groups

  9. Affirmative Action in the United States – “Keys to the Kingdom” • affirmative action -- 1965 • AA in federal public service by presidential executive order (1965-) • federal contractors program (1965) • university admissions • public school integration (including forced bussing) • characteristics • focus on numerical targets for proprotional representation • quotas

  10. Affirmative Action in the United States – The Denouement • Bakke v. UCal Davis, 1978 • federal contractors program under Reagan • “...affirmative action under the contract compliance program ceased to exist in all but name after 1980.” J.S. Leonard, 1994 • Hopwood v. Texas, 1996 • Proposition 209 (California, 1996) • by the mid-1990s, affirmative action seriously under challenge...

  11. Employment Equity in Canada • Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms: • S.15(1): Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.

  12. Employment Equity in Canada • Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms: • S.15(1) • S.15(2): Subsection (1) does not preclude any law, program or activity that has as its object the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups including those that are disadvantaged because of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical ability.

  13. Employment Equity in Canada • Employment Equity Act and Federal Contractors Act • adopted in 1986 (amended 1995) • applies to... • federal public service • federally regulated sectors (e.g. banking) • contractors (>$200,000) with the federal goverment (with more than 100 employees) • 5% of Canadian labour force

  14. Employment Equity in Canada • legislation • target groups • aboriginals • disabled • visible minorities • women

  15. Employment Equity in Canada • legislation/target groups • requirements • employers required to collect data on target groups • attempt to identify reasons where under-representation occurs • identify barriers to employment • implement plan to remove barriers • set own goals (including timetables) for addressing under-representation

  16. Employment Equity in Canada • legislation/target groups/requirements • issues (i.e. potential barriers to employment) • job assignment • training • compensation (pay equity) • promotion • terms and conditions of employment • workplace culture/climate

  17. Employment Equity in Canada • legislation/target groups/requirements/issues • limits • no quotas • cannot be required to hire unqualified persons • requirements cannot cause “undue hardship” • cannot be required to create new positions • compliance • does not mean having representative workforce • means meeting the required steps to identifying potential barriers and making “reasonable progress” toward equitable representation

  18. Employment Equity in Canada • legislation/target groups/requirements/ issues/limits • enforcement • Canadian Human Rights Commission • performs audits (as of 1996) • penalties (for violation) • tribunal directives to cease discriminatory practices • fines

  19. Affirmative Action (US) vs. Employment Equity • Canadians more familiar with Affirmative Action? • opponents of Employment Equity in Canada often refer to it as Affirmative Action • apparent reference to the severe division over affirmative action in the US

  20. Affirmative Action (US) vs. Employment Equity • AA usually associated with numeric quotas – in EE quotas are extremely rare • AA in US is broader than EE in Canada • applies to broader range of issues than in Canada • university admissions • AA is also narrower than EE in Canada

  21. Employment Equity in Canada • legislation • target groups • areas (potential barriers to employment) • job assignment • training • compensation (pay equity) • promotion • terms and conditions of employment • workplace culture/climate

  22. Measures of Effectiveness • ratio of proportion of workforce to proportion of population • ratios of representation/hiring to available candidates in workforce • necessary but not sufficient condition • vertical equity • are disadvantaged groups represented proportionally throughout the organization (including upper levels) or just at lower levels

  23. Main Messages!!! • context – NOT political culture – was crucial in shaping the development of programs in the two countries • politics of employment equity in Canada have been significantly shaped by the politics of affirmative action in the US

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