Employer Resource Hub: workplaces that work for all

Best practices, examples and resources

Find information, including best practices, examples, tools and resources to help improve your workplace in four areas to ensure Indigenous, Black and racialized talent can succeed.

Watch videos on building inclusive workplaces

Watch the videos below to learn more about how different kinds of racism can show up in the workplace and how to address them.

About the employer resource hub

The Anti-Racism Directorate (ARD) worked with CivicAction to develop the Employer Resource Hub, a collection of resources to support the advancement of racial equity in the workplace.

The Ontario Public Service acknowledges that deep systemic racism, discrimination and employment barriers continue to harm the well-being and careers of employees who are Indigenous, Black, racialized, LGBTQ2S and persons with disabilities.

The Ontario Public Service is committed to creating an organization that is:

• inclusive
• diverse
• equitable
• anti-racist
• accessible
• free from workplace harassment and discrimination

One important part of that process is identifying and learning from best practices, which we developed with input from a broad cross-section of stakeholders, communities and experts. That’s what this resource is about.

Another part of building an equitable Ontario Public Service is providing foundational anti-racism training for all employees in the organization to increase employee awareness and understanding of systemic racism, a key priority under the Ontario Public Service Anti-Racism Policy and Ontario’s anti-racism strategy.

Preventing systemic racism and advancing racial equity in the workplace is a critical objective that can be undermined by a number of factors, including:

• an organization’s culture
• outdated human resources policies and practices
• a lack of resources and supports

Indigenous, Black and racialized people, as well as people with disabilities and people who identify as LGBTQ2S, face distinct challenges entering the workforce, advancing in their career and seeking out learning and professional development opportunities. This often results in an unequal distribution of income and opportunities across these communities.

• 48%
  estimated racialized population in Ontario by 2036.^{footnote 1[1]}
• 10%
  improvement in employee perceptions of inclusion increases work attendance by almost one day a year per employee.^{footnote 2[2]}

Workplaces that work for all

Indigenous, Black and racialized people, LGBTQ2S people and people with disabilities in Ontario have incredible talent and expertise. Building companies that work for all is good for business and can result in:

• better performance
• higher revenues
• increased work attendance

Employers need to address the barriers that prevent this pool of talent from entering the workforce, advancing in their careers and accessing professional development. Together, we can build a more inclusive Ontario.

Addressing systemic racism in the workplace matters. When employees think their organization is committed to diversity and feel included, they report better performance in innovation and team collaboration.^{footnote 3[3]}

Learn about the Anti-Racism Directorate.