November 5, 2021
The Joint Employment Equity Committee (JEEC) is the National Joint Council’s (NJC) vehicle for employment equity and diversity analysis and gathers input, advice and recommendations on existing and emerging public service-wide policies, programs and practices. It was created to bring a broad equity lens to workplace initiatives that impact the federal public service soon after the Employment Equity Act was revised in 1995 to make it applicable to the federal public service.
Comprised of representatives from the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS), the Public Service Commission (PSC), bargaining agents and other departments, the committee members possess specific employment equity (EE) and diversity knowledge, responsibilities, and expertise. The JEEC seeks to collaborate on and guide the development, implementation and revision of public service-wide policies, practices, systems review and any aspect of the employment process that may impact designated groups under the Employment Equity Act.
In order for the JEEC to meet its mandate and to support initiatives to create an inclusive and representative public service, it is recommended that you consult the JEEC in a meaningful and engaged way.
Meaningful and engaging consultation entails:
- A consistent and timely approach to referring issues to the JEEC for consultation, collaboration, and analysis to ensure input is sought and considered early on in the development and/or revision phase of policies and initiatives; and
- Transparent and timely sharing of EE and diversity-related information (including EE data summaries gathered through various employer-controlled systems).
Areas for Consultation
The JEEC should be consulted on key EE and diversity and inclusion initiatives including but not limited to:
- The Public Service Employee Survey;
- The Management Accountability Framework;
- The Employment Equity Act review;
- The Public Service Employment Regulations;
- The Staffing and Non-Partisanship Survey;
- The Canada School of Public Service’s diversity and inclusion learning projects;
- Audits related to employment equity; and
- Specific equity related policies, directives, guidance, practices and initiatives and general ones that may impact equity groups such as harassment, duty to accommodate, telework, etc.
This is not an exhaustive list. As such, the Committee asks that you consider when consultation with the JEEC should be included in your forward agenda planning such that the Committee can effectively contribute to the work you are undertaking. Are there specific items and key timeframes for changes to policy or programs impacting EE, diversity, and inclusion? Are there employment equity initiatives or initiatives that impact employment equity that you are leading where consultation with the JEEC could be of benefit to you and to the Federal Public Service at large?
To contact us, please visit our webpage and connect with the Committee Advisor.
Thank you,
The JEEC