Dynamic and inclusive workplaces don't happen without good employers. Since 2016, the Government of Canada has recognized their efforts through the Employment Equity Achievement Awards. These awards recognize employers breaking down barriers to create more diverse and respectful workplaces for the four designated groups under the Employment Equity Act: women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities.
Today, Minister of Labour, Seamus O'Regan Jr., announced the recipients of the 2024 Employment Equity Achievement Awards at a ceremony held at the National Arts Centre. Minister O'Regan presented 13 awards to 11 deserving employers across five categories: sector distinction, outstanding commitment to employment equity, innovation, employment equity champion and Indigenous reconciliation.
Today's event also served as a platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration. A panel discussion explored employment equity, offering insights into federal perspectives, sharing best practices, addressing challenges, and examining innovative solutions alongside representatives from the private sector. The Minister also spoke about initiatives that advance equity and inclusion in federally regulated workplaces, such as the modernization of the Employment Equity Act, projects funded through the Workplace Opportunities: Removing Barriers to Equity program, and the government's first of its kind pay transparency website, Equi'Vision.
If you're not including everyone in your workplace, you're not getting the best. Working together as employers, workers and governments, we can create workplaces where everyone's talents and contributions are leveraged, and where everyone has an equal and fair chance to succeed.
