www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday September 1, 2006 - 9 The Weather Network encourages diverse workforce Continued from page 7 racism was in their life, and particularly, the first time they experienced it was at the workplace," said Blackburn. The minister said nine new officers will be stationed in Canada's largest cities, including Toronto, to take best practices out to workplaces. Such practices are evident at Pelmorex, which, in the ministry's 2005 annual report has an entire chapter devoted to it as a "success story." "Pelmorex is one of the top 100 enterprises in this matter," said Blackburn -- in large part because of senior management's support and Morrissette's commitment. "When an enterprise is part of our annual report, it means it's doing something, something good," said Blackburn. For example, Pelmorex has Employment Equity Integration Awareness Training. It sees management teams at Pelmorex take part in awareness training sessions of various organizations -- like the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Hearing Society, Peel Coalition for People with Disabilities and Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development -- to experience the challenges faced by members of · replacement parts · computer cables · ink & toner cartridges · new & refurbished computers · computer upgrades & service designated groups and understand the need for special measures and accommodations to their employees. Pelmorex does a workforce analysis quarterly to compare internal representation of designated group members to external availability. Follow-up action includes the development of new initiatives such as internships for members of designated groups that are underrepresented. Morrissette said recruitment and outreach through job fairs and internships, particularly through the National Educational Association of Disabled Students and First Nations University of Canada, and scholarship programs for designated groups are very successful and often lead to the training and hiring of an individual. The Diversity Committee at Pelmorex includes staff from various occupational levels and designated groups, management and employees, and meets quarterly. Pelmorex has encountered several employment equity misconceptions among its employees. Two years ago, news reporters' jobs at Pelmorex had their job descriptions updated to ensure the diversity of people in coverage regions is reflected in news stories, persons interviewed and sub- ject matter. When Pelmorex identified a representation gap for Aboriginal peoples, it made contact with organizations prior to post-secondary training so the people, when later looking for work would be more likely to apply since they had a familiarity with the company. Pelmorex also looks to employee satisfaction as a route to employee retention and surveys show that its employees believe the company allows them to balance work and personal responsibilities. "Diversity has become part of our day to-day practice and we feel it's very important for our employees and for our business. To us the priority is that our employees are happy working here and feel very satisfied with their job, their work environment and the people that they are working with... that employees feel that they are treated fairly and equitably... that's what's most important to us," stated Pelmorex Human Resources director Jerry Humes in the government document. Being respectful of people makes good business sense and business is all about people, said Morrissette, noting employment equity and Diversity Committee initiatives have resulted in an inclusive workplace, increased productivity and low employee turnover. As the Employment Equity Act -- which aims to address inequities for women, Aboriginals, the disabled and races -- comes up for review, Blackburn noted examples like Pelmorex will lead as the government attempts to combat what appears to have become the squeaky wheel in the quartet: racism. Race-based complaints represent 36 per cent of all complaints filed under Canada's Human Rights Act and one in six Canadian adults (17 per cent or about 4 million people) reported that they have personally been the victims of racism. That's all at a time when with declining birth rates and an aging population, Canada will depend on immigration for continued economic growth. 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