The federal public service’s top leader says he is personally committed to “ongoing action” to combat racism and discrimination in the workplace, following the release of an internal report detailing the disturbing experiences of some racialized public servants.
Privy Council Clerk John Hannaford says his department has put in place a number of initiatives, including an office headed by a diversity officer tasked with developing an anti-racism and equity plan.
His comments come after the Coalition Against Discrimination in the Workplace released a report on Monday detailing the discrimination and racism faced by employees of the Privy Council Office.
The coalition obtained the report through the Access to Information Act.
The report includes testimony from Black and racialized public servants who describe being passed over for career advancement opportunities that were instead offered to their white colleagues, and cites the example of Black employees who said they had to intervene with managers who used the N-word in their presence.
Hannaford said in a statement that the report, shared internally last year, is part of an anti-racism and equity effort launched in 2021.
In response to the information revealed in the report, the coalition called for the resignations of Deputy Clerk Nathalie Drouin, who it says has been responsible for the discrimination file since 2021, and Matthew Shea, assistant secretary of the cabinet, ministerial services and corporate affairs.
“We are particularly concerned about the lack of accountability for leaders who were in charge when widespread discrimination was rife,” Nicholas Marcus Thompson, president of the Black Class Action Secretariat, which leads the coalition, said at a news conference Monday.
Mr Hannaford responded that the government would not ask them to resign.
In the statement he released on Tuesday, he reiterated “all [sa] confidence” in Mme Drouin and Mr. Shea.
“The entire leadership team and I are committed to taking ongoing steps to identify and eliminate any barriers that may exist in the federal public service,” he said.
His office has created an ombudsman position “to help foster trust and psychological safety,” implemented anti-bias training, offered support for employee-led networks and professional development programs for Black, Indigenous and racialized employees, he said.
The government has improved representation within the department, he continued, including increasing the proportion of racialized employees in its management ranks from 10.1 per cent to 27.3 per cent since 2020.
Mr Thompson said Monday that many of the report’s key recommendations have yet to be addressed, citing fair hiring practices such as anonymous screening and third-party hiring as examples.