Employment Equity Annual Report 2020-2021

1 Introduction

As required under the Employment Equity Act, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) reports annually on its progress towards achieving a representative workforce.

The annual report includes workforce analysis of employment equity (EE) designated groups—women, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and visible minorities—by EE occupational group (EEOG), geographic region, salary range, as well as shares of hires, promotions, and terminations.

The workforce data in this report includes indeterminate employees and employees with service terms of 3 months or more. The report does not include data on students, employees on secondment from other organizations, terms less than 3 months, or visiting workers.

The report also outlines the NRC's progress in implementing its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategy, as well as mechanisms in place to consult employees with respect to EE issues.

Note: At the NRC, data pertaining to the representation of women in our workforce is collected from information provided by new employees at the time of hire and may be updated at any time through Human Resources. Data on the representation of the other designated groups is collected via a voluntary self‑identification survey made available to employees at the time of hire and every time they change positions within the NRC. Employees may update their self‑identification information at any time through an employee self‑service portal.

In order to adhere to confidentiality rules related to self‑identification information, all statistics that include 5 employees or less are suppressed from this report with the following symbol "±". Data on women does not come from the self‑identification process and is therefore not subject to the same restrictions.

2 Workforce analysis

As of March 31, 2021, the NRC employed a staff of 4,235 in 12 EEOGs, an increase of 87 employees from the 4,148 employees reported in the previous reporting period.

Labour market availability (LMA) estimates for fiscal year (FY) 2020‑2021 are based on the 2016 National Household Survey (Census) and the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability results. All percentage calculations in this report are rounded up or down to one decimal place.

2.1 Designated group representation – FY 2020‑2021 comparison to FY 2019‑2020

As of March 31, 2021, the NRC had representation gaps for 3 of the 4 EE designated groups.

The representation for women in the NRC's overall workforce surpassed LMA, while steady progress is noted in the remaining 3 designated groups. For Aboriginal peoples, the representation as a percentage of the LMA at the end of FY 2020‑2021 was 52.4%, an increase of 3.6% from the previous fiscal year. For persons with disabilities, the representation as a percentage of the LMA increased by 7.9%, to 43.3%. For visible minorities, the representation as a percentage of the LMA was 92.6%, a 6.4% increase from the previous reporting period.

In terms of employee headcount, the NRC representation relative to LMA was +29 for women, with representation gaps of -44 for Aboriginal peoples, -204 for persons with disabilities, and -72 for visible minorities.

2.2 Representation of designated groups by EE occupational group: FY 2020‑2021

As noted in table 2.2, the Professionals group constitutes the largest EEOG at the NRC, comprising 51.7% of the workforce. The Semi‑professionals and technicians group follows at 23.5%; Administrative and senior clerical personnel at 10.8%; Middle and other managers at 5.9%; Clerical personnel at 3.0%; and Skilled crafts and trades workers at 2.3% of the workforce. Other smaller EEOGs account for the remainder of the NRC population.

The data and supporting narrative that follow in tables 2.3 through 2.6 denote the NRC's findings and analysis for each EE designated group at the EEOG level as of March 31, 2021, as well as their respective number of hires, promotions, and terminations during FY 2020‑2021.

2.3 Women: hires, promotions, and terminations by EE occupational group

• On March 31, 2021, women represented 38.2% of the NRC's workforce, slightly over the LMA of 37.5%, equating to a headcount of +29 women.
• When reviewing the data by EEOG, the largest representation gap in terms of headcount is in the Professionals group at -32 women. The number of women employees at the NRC surpassed LMA estimates in the following EEOGs: Senior managers (+1), Middle and other managers (+22), Semi‑professionals and technicians group (+14), Supervisors, clerical (+1), Administrative and senior clerical group (+22) and Clerical personnel (+1).
• The proportion of women hired in FY 2020‑2021 decreased by 6.4% from the previous fiscal year but remained higher than the LMA of 41.7%.
• At 43.8%, the proportion of women promoted was lower than the previous year (48.8%) but surpassed the LMA rate of 39.8%.
• In FY 2020‑2021, 126 women departed from the NRC, representing 42.9% of all terminations, a slight decrease from the termination rate of 44.2% reported in the previous period.

2.4 Aboriginal peoples: hires, promotions, and terminations by EE occupational group

• On March 31, 2021, the NRC employed 48 Aboriginal persons, representing 1.1% of the NRC workforce and a headcount gap of -44 based on the LMA estimate of 92.
• Aboriginal peoples are most underrepresented in the Semi‑professionals and technicians group with a gap of -20.
• The proportion of Aboriginal employees hired during the reporting period increased by 0.2% from the previous fiscal year, to 1.9% in FY 2020‑2021, below the LMA of 2.3%.
• The proportion of Aboriginal employees promoted during the reporting period increased from last fiscal year but was less than the LMA of 2.0%.
• There was a decrease in the proportion of terminations of Aboriginal peoples from last fiscal which remained lower than the LMA rate of 2.3%.

2.5 Persons with disabilities: hires, promotions and terminations by EE occupational group

• On March 31, 2021, persons with disabilities accounted for 3.7% of the NRC workforce, compared to the LMA of 8.5%, resulting in a representation gap of -204 employees. 
• In terms of headcount, the largest gaps in representation of persons with disabilities relative to the LMA are seen in the Professionals EEOG at -124, the Semi‑professionals and technicians group at -45 and the Administrative and senior clerical group at -23.
• The proportion of hires of persons with disabilities increased by 0.6% from the previous reporting period but remained less than the LMA rate of 8.6%.
• The proportion of promotions for persons with disabilities decreased by 0.3% in FY 2020‑2021, and was lower than the LMA of 8.6%.
• Terminations of persons with disabilities decreased by 0.5% from the previous reporting period and remained lower than the LMA estimate of 8.4%.

2.6 Visible minorities: hires, promotions, and terminations by EE occupational group

• The NRC's visible minority population represents 21.4% of the workforce, below the LMA of 23.1%, which equates to a representation gap of -72 individuals.
• Members of visible minorities are most underrepresented in the Professionals group at -37, followed by the Semi‑professionals and technicians group at -34, and Middle and other managers group at -14.
• The proportion of hires of visible minorities in FY 2020‑2021 increased by 0.7% from the previous fiscal year and remained higher than the LMA estimate of 22.2%.
• The proportion of promotions of visible minorities increased by 2.9% from last reporting period to 24.2% and was higher than the LMA estimate of 23.8%.
• The termination rate for visible minorities decreased by 0.6% from last fiscal year to 16.7% this fiscal which was lower than LMA of 20.6%.

2.7 Hires of designated groups by EE occupational group

2.8 Promotions of designated groups by EE occupational group

2.9 Terminations of designated groups by EE occupational group

2.10 Representation of designated groups by geography

2.11 Representation of designated groups by salary range

3 Progress implementing EE action plans

Over the course of fiscal year 2020‑2021, the NRC continued to implement its 2018‑2021 EDI strategy and developed its next 3‑year strategy which was approved by NRC's Senior Executive Committee in July 2021. Aligned with the Government of Canada's commitments to EDI, the NRC EDI strategy 2018‑2021 ("the strategy") was intended to help establish the NRC as an inclusive place to work and engage, and focused on:

• building a diverse and representative workforce (incorporating positive measures)
• ensuring that the NRC's work with clients, partners and entrepreneurs was free from barriers
• contributing to a more inclusive innovation system

In addition to addressing the NRC's legislative and reporting requirements, the strategy took into consideration the NRC president's mandate to:

• reduce barriers to the participation of women researchers and entrepreneurs in the NRC's programs and partnerships
• increase outreach to diverse groups to help create a more inclusive Canadian innovation system
• encourage a more diverse NRC through targeted actions to include more women, youth, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and racialized persons among its researchers

Supported by the foundational elements of clear responsibility, governance, and measurability, the strategy included 3 pillars aimed at building and sustaining:

• a diverse and representative workforce
• a barrier‑free NRC (including accessible employment and programs)
• an inclusive culture

The organization began to refocus its efforts on anti‑racism in spring 2020 with the significant rise in reported acts of aggression, hate, racism, and discrimination, particularly toward Black and Indigenous people, and people of Asian descent, including the identification of systemic barriers in our processes, all the while supporting our employees and their families as we navigated the pandemic.

In alignment with the evolving social context and in support of the 2020/2021 Deputy Minister Commitments on Diversity and Inclusion, the Clerk of the Privy Council's Call to Action on Anti‑Racism, Equity and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service, the Many Voices One Mind report, and the Accessible Canada Act, the following describes the NRC's progress in implementing EE action plans during fiscal year 2020‑2021.

Diverse and representative workforce

• During the reporting period, the NRC made steady progress in improving representation across designated EE groups. As part of the NRC's annual workforce planning process, business units considered the NRC's EE gaps (including noted EEOGs) and goals when identifying staffing needs and used hiring strategies such as giving preference to candidates that self‑declared as members of one or more EE groups and advertising job opportunities with EE‑relevant groups and associations to increase candidate pools. In the context of our remote work situation, hiring managers advertised a number of jobs as "within a National Research Council office across Canada" to open up the work location, thus reaching a broader pool of diverse talent across the country.
• In fall 2020, the NRC undertook an extensive self‑identification campaign supported by organization‑wide communications, information sessions, and employee testimonials.
  • At the end of the campaign, 90.3% of the NRC workforce had self‑identified, representing a 3.3% increase from the previous year's results.
  • In addition, 77.1% of employees who had self‑identified authorized NRC EE advisors to contact them for human resources management purposes (e.g., HR‑related activities can include participation on advisory committees; obtaining input on specific EE issues; referral for training and developmental assignments; facilitation of appropriate accommodation in the workplace in the case of persons with disabilities, etc.).
• An Indigenous Student Recruitment Pilot Project was developed throughout the reporting period, and subsequently approved in May 2021, which will serve to promote co‑op opportunities to Indigenous students, engage with Indigenous student offices at universities and colleges, and explore dedicated work opportunities for Indigenous students and graduates over the course of FY 2021‑2022.
• Recruitment efforts were carried out by leveraging the NRC Ambassador Program. For the period of September 2020 to February 2021, we participated in 4 virtual job fairs with the University of Sherbrooke and the University of Ottawa where our employee ambassadors shared their individual experiences as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) professionals at the NRC. The program encourages Canada's future leaders in STEM—from high school students through to early career researchers—to consider the NRC in their future job searches.
• The NRC renewed its partnership with Indigenous Link, a career service provider dedicated to supporting Indigenous job seekers. Indigenous Link delivered training sessions on the recruitment of Indigenous people to hiring advisors, human resources business partners, hiring managers and supervisors with hiring responsibility.
  • A total of 66 participants attended the English session offered on November 19, 2020, and 17 participants attended the French session on November 25, 2020.
• On January 26, 2021, we collaborated with the Employment Accessibility Resource Network (EARN) on a virtual event to discuss STEM career options for students with disabilities. Over 45 attendees, including students with disabilities and service providers, joined the virtual discussion to hear about STEM career opportunities available at the NRC as well as how to apply for these opportunities online.
• Throughout fiscal year 2020‑2021, the NRC continued to equip hiring managers through training and tools to support inclusive hiring practices and to help build diverse pools of talent:
  • Hiring managers at the NRC were encouraged to give priority consideration to members of EE groups, particularly for jobs where underrepresentation had been identified, and job opportunities continued to be advertised with EE‑relevant groups and associations.
  • Students who self‑identified as members of one or more designated EE groups were prioritized during the hiring process for the NRC's Student Employment Program. As a first step, hiring managers were provided the resumes of qualifying candidates from these groups. If no candidate was identified, applications from the broader database were considered. Of the students hired during 2020‑2021, 38.5% were women, 0.6% identified as Aboriginal peoples, 3.1% as persons with disabilities and 42.2% as visible minorities.
  • The NRC reviewed the candidate profile section of its online job application form to replace the mandatory salutation field with an optional selection menu and update its binary gender selection field to an optional field where one may declare a woman thus solely collecting data pursuant to the Employment Equity Act and promoting inclusivity in its job application process.
  • Hiring managers and members of the HR community were invited to attend training on inclusive recruitment designed to share tools and best practices. A total of 103 employees participated in the workshop held in late October 2020.
  • We also offered a virtual workshop overview of EDI and the fundamentals of applying GBA+ to process improvement projects to over 50 employees during the reporting period.

A barrier‑free NRC

• In the summer of 2020, the NRC President tasked the Vice‑President of Human Resources and the Departmental Science Advisor and Chief Science Officer with leading a review of the NRC's recruitment, promotion, and retention practices to identify systemic barriers and recommend short‑term actions. With the help of an external consultant, the review began in fall 2020 and included individual interviews and group consultations where employees from diverse backgrounds could share their lived experiences. Key findings and recommendations will be addressed through the new EDI strategy (2021‑2024).
• A simultaneous review to assess the organization's state of readiness for the implementation of the Accessible Canada Act was also conducted. This exercise concretely identified areas for improvement as well as recommendations for action that are tailored to our research and innovation context that will be incorporated in an accessibility plan.
• Throughout the reporting period, we continued to implement the Gender‑Based Analysis (GBA+) framework. For instance, we used GBA+ in cabinet documents such as Memoranda to Cabinet and Treasury Board submissions; departmental planning and reporting tools; and plans for new programs, initiatives, and processes. GBA+ is part of our broader EDI framework and helps ensure the NRC develops inclusive and accessible policies, programs, and initiatives by challenging assumptions and identifying potential impacts to diverse groups.
• Stemming from NRC Dialogue—which consisted of internal and external consultations to identify key areas for organizational improvement—project teams were created to work on simplifying internal processes such as project management, client agreements, onboarding, procurement, and hiring. Reviews were carried out during the reporting period with an emphasis on recognizing and addressing systemic bias and recommending solutions as well as a clear plan for implementation by the end of March 2021. The projects have now moved into the implementation phase.
• The NRC drafted a program guide to communicate its Outreach Fund, a grant and contributions program that engages and supports underrepresented groups in STEM activities, including special events and symposiums. The guide will be published on our external facing website.
• Continued progress was made through the Recruitment and Retention of Women in STEM Working Group, a representative committee, co‑led by the champions of EDI and Women in STEM at the NRC. The following activities undertaken in FY 2020‑2021 aimed to reduce barriers faced by women in STEM and promote an inclusive work environment:
  • Ongoing engagement with Engendering Success in STEM on a research project focused on Realizing Identity Safe Environments (RISE), also known as Project RISE. Led by the University of British Columbia (UBC) Engendering Success in STEM consortium, the goal of Project RISE is to better understand the biases faced by women in STEM and how best to create an inclusive and identity safe culture within the workplace. In fall 2020, a UBC Project RISE lead presented the study, the workshops and research results to the NRC's Committee on EDI. To respect COVID health and safety measures, the inclusive innovation workshops planned for FY 2020‑2021 were postponed to FY 2021‑2022 (June 2021 and October 2021), to be delivered in a virtual format. The workshops are designed to improve workplace experiences and promote professional success by cultivating an inclusive culture.
  • The NRC collaborated on the Journées de la relève en recherche de l'Association canadienne‑française pour l'avancement des sciences (Acfas) in October 2020. Devoted to the development and support of the next generation of researchers, Acfas invited close to 200 students and postdoctoral researchers to participate in 20 online activities for training, discussion, networking, and entertainment. Two of NRC's women executives were speakers at these events and spoke about career path, entry into the labour market and the importance of mentoring initiatives aimed at women in science and technology.
  • An online network for Women in Science and Innovation was formed with the creation of a communications channel through the Teams platform. Another discussion forum was created through the Slack platform helping women in STEM across NRC offices in Canada stay connected. Regular luncheons with guest speakers empowering women in STEM at the NRC continued through virtual gatherings.
  • The NRC celebrated women in STEM, their insight, ingenuity, and research excellence in bringing solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing Canadians today, through a campaign that ran from February 11, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, through to March 8, International Women's Day. A symposium followed by an e‑poster session celebrating the success of women in STEM kicked off the campaign. With approximately 1,400 viewers, 11 national and international speakers, and nearly 90 research posters presented, the event engaged and inspired federal women in STEM.
  • The NRC also hosted a viewing of the film Picture a Scientist, which explores enduring barriers for women in STEM careers and offered a seminar in partnership with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, which sought to build awareness and understanding of the realities facing women's ability to take up leadership roles.
  • A one‑year pilot project was conducted to develop a mentoring approach for women in research and technical positions. A total of 106 employees enrolled in the pilot (approximately 70% women and 30% men) and 28 matches were made using an online platform. Key findings and lessons learned helped inform the development of Mentoring@the NRC, an NRC‑wide mentoring program launched in April 2021, as a component of the Leadership Development Framework.
• The NRC continued its efforts to improve accessibility through participation in the Public Service and Procurement Canada workshops regarding accessibility and engaging consultants to complete accessibility audits for the built environment. In FY 2020‑2021, accessibility audits of 11 NRC buildings and 5 building inspections were completed.
• To support individual accommodations, the NRC renewed its service‑level agreement with Shared Services Canada's Accessibility, Accommodation and Adaptive Computer Technology (AAACT) program to provide assistance in activities such as assessment of technology to meet user needs.

Inclusive culture

• At the NRC, we recognize learning drives growth and individual development contributing to excellence in research and innovation. Throughout the reporting period, the NRC communicated EDI learning and training opportunities via internal channels encouraging employees to register for diversity and inclusion courses through the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS), attend webinars offered by the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) and take part in the virtual Public Service Pride activities organized to celebrate the diversity in Canada's public service and to honor the contributions of Canada's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and two‑spirit (LGBTQ2+) communities.
• In December 2020, the NRC became an employer partner of the CCDI. This partnership provides employees with a series of benefits that support the NRC's focus on EDI, including access to:
  • CCDI's monthly newsletter, Diversity Ink, which provides information on CCDI events and research, and other pertinent news from the Canadian diversity and inclusion realm.
  • The CCDI Knowledge Repository, which contains an e‑library with over 1,000 documents, including Canadian‑specific and international diversity and inclusion research, reports, toolkits, and news.
  • Free educational webinars every month geared toward the current social context.
• All NRC employees are required to take 2 introductory courses as a part of their onboarding process: Diversity and inclusion fundamentals and Unconscious Bias. Managers are required to take a third course on Managing Bias in Hiring. The 3 courses are offered through a partnership with the CCDI. In FY 2020‑2021, 957 employees had completed the mandatory training.
• A number of commemorative events promoting diversity and inclusion were also communicated during the reporting period, including: Canadian Multiculturalism Day, National Indigenous Peoples Day, National Indigenous History Month, Acadian Day, Linguistic Duality Day, Disability Employment Awareness Month, Women's History Month, International Men's Day, Transgender Day of Remembrance, Human Rights Day, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Black History Month, Journée internationale de la Francophonie, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, International Women's Day. More specifically:
  • We marked National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October 2020 with a social media campaign highlighting the positive contributions that people with disabilities make to our workplaces and to Canada. We also collaborated with Canadian Heritage on a virtual panel for public servants on the importance of employment inclusion for diverse persons with disabilities, held on October 29, 2020. The NRC further built on these efforts by partnering with other federal departments and agencies as well as community organizations to host events for International Day of Persons with Disabilities and National AccessAbility Week.
  • In February 2021, the NRC celebrated Black History Month in a meaningful and engaged way with a full communications and social media campaign highlighting NRC employees, as well as panels that focused on 4 key areas: Black representation in STEM and leadership; allyship and collaboration; intersectionality; and Black mental health. Our 3 panels were hosted by members of senior leadership, researchers, and organizations working to advance positive change for equity‑deserving groups. The panels were attended by NRC employees as well as colleagues from over 25 federal institutions and 12 universities across Canada. These events gave us the opportunity to form ongoing collaborative relationships within government and expand our partnering and outreach activities with grassroots organizations.
• To support learning across the organization, we launched an anti‑racism resource portal on the NRC's intranet in February 2021 to provide employees with reading suggestions, relevant research and data, as well as multimedia resources such as videos and podcasts. Within the first month, we had a total of 482 page views with a highest click rate (27%) on the anti‑racism reading list section of the English page and 34% of clicks on the tools and resources section of the French anti‑racism page.
• NRC's EDI tools and resources intranet page was updated to include new information and networking resources. Employees can now browse topics specific to the underrepresented groups and view tools and resources to learn and stay informed on best practices. For example, they can access specific information about various types of disabilities, learn about reconciliation, Indigenous languages, best practices for land acknowledgments, etc.
• Fostering an inclusive culture transcended through the NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program's (NRC IRAP) external work with small and medium‑sized businesses where EDI was promoted and incorporated in processes as well as within the program itself, including:
  • A Client Inclusiveness team was formed to provide direct support to firms owned or led by underrepresented groups. NRC IRAP implemented a strategy to collect data on the diversity of their client base.
  • An Indigenous Special Interest Group was launched in FY 2020‑2021 with representation from each NRC IRAP region. This group supports colleagues in engagement with Indigenous entrepreneurs.
  • NRC IRAP's terms and conditions were updated to include a new class of funding assistance for Indigenous recipients.
  • In 2020‑2021, NRC IRAP managers were given the opportunity to participate in a training program designed to enhance self‑awareness and strengthen the skills of those who work both directly and indirectly with Indigenous peoples. The goal of the San'yas Indigenous Cultural Safety (ICS) Foundations training was to develop understanding and promote positive partnerships between service providers and Indigenous people. A total of 27 NRC IRAP managers attended this training.
• In addition, the following EDI activities were undertaken through external outreach to diverse clients, collaborators, partners, stakeholders:
  • Our International Innovation Office leveraged the multilingual capacity of NRC employees organization‑wide, inviting all employees with capabilities in other languages to become more involved in the organization's international work and assisting with outreach‑related materials for use in Canada and abroad.
  • Through the European Association of Innovation Agencies (TAFTIE), NRC IRAP worked with international partners to benchmark innovation programming, share information, and learn about best practices in implementing diversity and inclusion policies with interested TAFTIE members. To date, 2 workshops have been held, and an action plan to integrate diversity considerations into co‑innovation programing has been developed.
  • NRC IRAP engaged with Innovate UK to explore how operational changes could create cumulative effects on a country's competitiveness, culture, and communities. The organizations co‑hosted a Co‑Innovation Forum that brought together participants from Canada and the United Kingdom to seek ways to work together to affect change in how the benefits of EDI are realized through collaboration and innovation.
  • The NRC worked closely with Indigenous and non‑Indigenous language experts and technology developers to help stabilize, revitalize, and reclaim Indigenous languages in Canada. This technology supports Indigenous language educators and students, promoting the accessibility of audio recordings, and supporting Indigenous language translators, transcribers, and other language professionals.
• Throughout the COVID‑19 pandemic, the NRC focused on maintaining a safe, healthy and respectful work environment by supporting employees and managers through tools and resources to help toward a flexible transition to remote work, and by raising awareness around wellness and mental health.
  • In 2020‑2021, our Wellness Advisor offered a total of 125 training sessions to 5,997 participants.
  • Mental health crisis response training was provided to management and HR business partners.
  • Information sessions were offered to employees on the Employee and Family Assistance Program.
  • Supervisors across the NRC attended webinars, town halls and training sessions on topics such as workplace mental heath, health and safety, and tips and tools for supporting employees.
  • During FY 2020‑2021, 4 virtual sessions were offered to approximately 1,400 NRC employees on the following themes: Conflict Resolution 101, Civility, Managing Difficult Conversations, and Conflict Resolution Improvisation.
  • The Informal Conflict Resolution team at the NRC provided a total of 6 group facilitation discussions to 102 employees.
  • With the new NRC Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention and Resolution Policy taking effect on January 1, 2021, mandatory organization‑wide training was launched and as of March 31, 2021, a total of 3,298 NRC employees had completed the Canada School of Public Service's Harassment and Violence Prevention training courses.

Foundational elements

• The NRC is fully invested in building a diverse, inclusive, and anti‑racist workplace and workforce. Inspired by the Human Resources Council's anti‑racism statement issued in December 2020 and recognizing that organizational leaders have the influence and decision‑making power to act in dismantling systemic racism, bias, and discrimination, we developed a senior leadership Commitment to Action toward a Diverse, Inclusive and Anti‑racist NRC (signed by NRC's Senior Executive Committee (SEC) in April 2021). This commitment is designed to confirm personal and collective commitment to learn, reflect and take steps to drive positive and enduring change.
• As part of ongoing commitment to excellence, all executives at the NRC have a common performance objective to increase representation, create an inclusive work environment, foster workplace wellness, and contribute to a psychologically healthy workforce. To hold leadership accountable for evidence‑based actions and impacts toward advancing EDI, a performance review takes place semi‑annually which measures progress in achieving goals set for the year.
• Throughout FY 2020‑2021, the NRC's EDI Champion together with a senior‑level VP Steering committee continued to lead and oversee the implementation of the NRC's EDI strategy and ongoing integration of EDI in NRC practices. The committee gathered in October 2020, to discuss activities underway within the organization and strategize how to deliver on our commitments.
• The Committee on EDI membership was renewed in FY 2020‑2021 to reflect the diversity of our workforce. This committee continued to provide input on EDI activities underway to improve workforce representation and to foster an inclusive culture.
• To help build Indigenous engagement capacity and skills at the NRC, an Indigenous Engagement Network was formed to bring together employees from a variety of disciplines and research areas on an ongoing basis. Activities undertaken in FY 2020‑2021 include establishing an external advisory committee and offering engagement and cultural training to management in certain divisions.

At the end of the reporting period, the NRC was preparing to renew its EDI strategy to reflect:

• lessons learned from the 2018‑2021 strategy
• current social context, including calls to action
• findings from the employment systems review and accessibility assessment

The new EDI strategy includes initiatives to help us:

• hire and support the career development and advancement of diverse talent
• foster an inclusive, accessible and anti‑racist culture
• address barriers in policies and systems
• enable sustained, measurable progress through governance and accountability

The 2021‑2024 EDI strategy also takes into consideration challenges brought on by the COVID‑19 pandemic and new opportunities resulting from the NRC's Future of Work project which was launched in fall 2020 to examine what the NRC workplace could look like post‑pandemic.

4 Consultations with employees

NRC employees were engaged through individual and group consultations as well as surveys to better understand their lived experience and perceptions in key areas. Specifically:

• In FY 2020‑2021, members of the Committee on EDI were consulted for input on a number of activities underway to contribute to a more representative workforce and inclusive work environment, including:
  • the 2020 self‑identification campaign that took place in the fall
  • activities supporting Disability Employment Awareness Month
  • the NRC employment systems review and analysis to implement the Accessible Canada Act
  • the establishment of EDI priorities for the NRC
• The Women in STEM committee continued to advance work to address recommendations outlined in the NRC's Recruitment and Retention of Women in STEM Strategy. This working group actively engaged NRC colleagues in their work throughout this reporting period on topics such as outreach, mentoring and networking. The committee also provided input on:
  • the NRC employment systems review and analysis to implement the Accessible Canada Act
  • the broader mentorship program that was launched in April 2021
• In November 2020, senior management at the NRC conducted a corporate survey to obtain feedback about the impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic on employee mental health and well‑being, the current work environment and work tools, workload, the future of work, communications and more. Findings from this survey served to inform current practices and will continue to be taken into consideration in dialogue around the future of work post‑pandemic.
  • Over 2,000 employees completed the survey representing a response rate of 47%. Of those who responded, 16% identified as racialized, 1% as Indigenous, and 4% as persons with disabilities.
• Following a 2020 Employment Equity Horizontal Audit on the Employment of Racialized People in Executive and Management Positions in the Public Service, conducted by the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the NRC was subsequently selected to be a part of the second phase of this exercise which involved employee consultations. The Commission conducted 21 interviews with racialized employees at all levels within the NRC to help:
  • enable our EE program
  • understand employment barriers for racialized employees
  • improve representation of racialized people in executive and management level positions
  • design an accountability framework
• In fall 2020 through winter 2021, the NRC engaged a third‑party to conduct an Employment Systems Review to identify barriers for EE designated groups in our recruitment, promotion and retention policies and processes. In parallel, an analysis of our readiness to implement the Accessible Canada Act was carried out.
  • A total of 83 employees were consulted through individual interviews and group consultations to provide their input and/or testimony. The review identified systemic barriers for diverse groups, provided recommendations to management regarding how to eliminate identified barriers, and incorporated a view to improving the equity, diversity, and inclusiveness of the NRC.
  • Specific actions to help address gaps and eliminate barriers for equity‑deserving groups have been included in the new 3‑year EDI strategy (2021‑2024).

We also gathered input from the 2020 Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) that took place from November 30, 2020, to January 29, 2021. The NRC participation in the 2020 PSES survey was 59.7%, 1% higher than 2019. Our overall results were better than the Public Service (PS) average in areas such as employee engagement, respectful/inclusive workplace, harassment, and discrimination. We also note improvement in the 2020 NRC results, compared to 2019, for respondents from EE groups. Specifically:

• 90% of NRC respondents are proud of the work they do, a 2% increase from last year, and higher than the PS average of 86%.
  • Indigenous employees agree at 91%, an 8% improvement from last year, persons with disabilities answered positively at 90%, a 2% increase from last year, and members of visible minorities agreed at 91%, equating to a 2% improvement from 2019.
• Results revealed a 3% improvement from last year of NRC respondents who reported the organization treats them with respect (90%), compared to the overall PS results of 85%.
  • Compared to last year, we note a 3% increase in this area for Indigenous employees who agree at 92%, a 5% improvement for persons with disabilities who responded positively at 85% and a 4% improvement for visible minorities who responded similarly at 88%.
• 84% of NRC respondents reported they believe their department or agency respects individual differences (up by 3% from last year), compared to the PS average of 77%.
  • Progress in 2020, compared to 2019, is noted for Indigenous employees who agree at 92% (3% improvement), 81% of persons with disabilities answered positively at 81% (10% increase) and 83% of visible minorities concur at 83% (up by 5% from last year).
• An improvement of 3% is seen in NRC respondents who agree at 89% that, in their work unit, individuals behave in a respectful manner, compared to 85% of PS respondents.
  • A comparison of year 2020 with the 2019 results show that Indigenous employees agree at 86% (up by 3%), persons with disabilities at 84% (same as last year) and visible minorities at 87% (3% increase from last year).
• 6% of NRC respondents indicated that they have been the victim of harassment on the job in the past 12 months, 2% less than last year, and lower than the overall public service of 11%.
• 4% of NRC respondents indicated that they have been the victim of discrimination on the job in the past 12 months, 1% less than in 2019, and lower than the overall PS of 7%.
• A 7% improvement from last year is seen for NRC respondents who would recommend their department or agency as a great place to work (84%), higher than PS results of 75%.
  • Indigenous employees answered positively at 91% (revealing a 16% improvement from last year), persons with disabilities agree at 80% (up by 11% from 2019) and members of visible minorities at 83% (representing a 6% increase from 2019).
• Other areas where continued attention is required include opportunities for promotion, support for career development and initiatives that promote anti‑racism in the workplace.

At the end of the reporting period, the NRC continued to review and integrate the most recent PSES data and themes into its programming and implementation of the NRC Strategic Human Resources Plan as well as its EDI and Wellness strategies.