| 2002 was the year Parliament reviewed the Employment Equity Act. In preparing for this review, the Commission undertook stakeholder consultations, commissioned an independent program evaluation which included a survey of employers, and provided the Parliamentary Committee reviewing the Act with a report of findings and recommendations. The Committee concluded that the Act is working well, that it is yielding positive results, and that the emphasis on cooperation and persuasion with employers is appropriate. The Commission was particularly pleased that the Committee called for an integrated strategy to ensure equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities and Aboriginal peoples. The Committee further concluded that the Commission’s approach is effective and appropriate, and recommended that it be provided with sufficient resources to accelerate the pace of audits and facilitate employers in fulfilling their obligations under the Act. The independent program evaluation and employer survey demonstrated that the first five years of the Employment Equity Compliance Program were positive and concluded that the Commission has adequately fulfilled its mandate. It further concluded that: - Stakeholders find the audit requirements reasonable.
- Most employers believe enforcement actions used by the Commission are appropriate and that the actions taken as a result of the audits will lead to increased representation levels and the elimination of barriers.
- Employers value and rely first on the Commission’s information regarding audit requirements.
In five years, the Commission has audited 51.1% of employers subject to the Act, representing 714,058 employees or 75.4% of the federally regulated workforce. A streamlined audit approach has been developed to complete the audit of small employers representing the remaining quarter of the workforce. Through consultation and an independent program evaluation, it is clear that there is wide support for the Employment Equity legislation among employers, unions and organizations representing designated groups, and that without the Commission’s audit efforts, compliance would be considerably less than it is today. A more detailed report entitled 2002 Employment Equity: A Year-End Review, will be released in April 2003. |