Workplace Diversity & Inclusion Policy

All companies must have clearly written anti-discrimination and harassment policies to ensure compliance with human rights and OHS laws. While there’s some overlap, diversity and inclusion policies are different from discrimination policies. While discrimination laws require toleration and equality of treatment, diversity embraces racial, sex, religious, age and other differences. Practitioners of diversity see personal differences as a source of strength and actively seek to build an inclusive workforce that includes as wide an array of differences as possible. Here’s a template diversity and inclusion policy that you can adapt for your own use.

  1. POLICY

ABC Company recognizes the inherent dignity and worth of all individuals. ABC Company has adopted a Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy to prevent all forms of workplace discrimination and ensure equality of opportunity to all regardless of race, national origin, ethnicity, colour, religion, sex, age, family status, sexual orientation, gender expression and identity, creed, previous criminal offences, and other characteristics and circumstances protected by the [province] human rights laws. However, the Company’s commitment to the values of equality and individual dignity extends far beyond non-discrimination and doing what the laws require. ABC Company does not simply tolerate but embraces diversity and regards it as a vital source of moral and financial strength. Moreover, it applies the principles of inclusion to not only groups protected by human rights laws but personal differences of all kinds, including but not limited to, with regard to personal and political values, culture, experience, education, communications style and personal interests.

  1. PURPOSE

ABC Company’s vision is to establish and maintain a fully diverse and inclusive workplace that is truly representative of all sections of society, including but not limited to those that have been historically excluded from or under-represented in our business. The purpose of this Policy is to set out a strategy for achieving that vision by ensuring that the principles of diversity and inclusion goals infuse all aspects of ABC Company operations.

  1. LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

In recognition that diversity is an organizational goal that cannot be reached without active engagement at the highest levels, senior management will exercise leadership in advancing diversity and inclusion at ABC Company by taking the following steps [list all that apply]:

  • Setting and regularly tracking progress made toward achieving measurable objectives for advancing diversity and inclusion at all stages of the employment life cycle, including recruitment, hiring, retention and advancement throughout the Company;
  • Establishing a Diversity Committee comprised of management/executive level employees to oversee diversity and inclusion efforts at all levels;…