Human Rights & Equity Services

Employment Equity Policy

Dalhousie's Employment Equity Policy

The purpose of this Policy is to identify institutional commitments to recognize and redress historical and current-day inequities experienced by certain groups in relation to employment at Dalhousie.

Dalhousie's Employment Equity Policy establishes the university’s commitment to employment equity and outlines how employment equity will be implemented throughout the University.

Dalhousie’s Policy is consistent with the federal Employment Equity Act and the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act.

Dalhousie will seek to:
1. Remove barriers to and in employment by eliminating or modifying policies, practices, and systems that are not authorized by law;
2. Introduce positive policies and practices, as well as establish internal goals and timetables to achieve employment equity through hiring, training, promotion, and retention of members of Equity-Seeking Groups;
3. Improve the meaningful participation and engagement of Equity-Seeking Groups throughout Dalhousie; and
4. Improve workplace environments and climate for Equity-Seeking Groups through individual and organizational capacity building and ensuring timely responses to complaints of inequitable systems and practices.

Dalhousie wishes to institute active measures to eliminate discrimination and to reverse the historic under-representation within its workforce of:

Indigenous peoples (especially Mi’kmaq)
Members of racialized minority groups (especially historic African Nova Scotians)
Persons with disabilities
Women
Persons belonging to sexual orientation and/or gender identity (SOGI) minority groups

Approved by: President, Richard Florizone, October 2, 2017

Application

This Policy applies to all aspects of employment at Dalhousie, including, but not limited to, recruitment, interviewing, selection, hiring, training and professional development, career progression, promotion and tenure, transfers, terminations, salaries, benefits, and workplace conditions. It does not eliminate any other obligations Dalhousie may have under applicable human rights legislation nor does it displace its obligations under another policy or any applicable collective agreement.

Administrative Structure

Authority: This Policy is sponsored by and falls under the authority of the President.

Human Rights & Equity Services: HRES, in collaboration with Human Resources, is the unit responsible for the administration of this Policy.

Employment Equity Council: The Council is responsible for working through, and with, HRES to provide advice on the strategic planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of this Policy and Dalhousie’s Employment Equity Plan.

Equal Opportunity

Except in the context of affirmative action in employment, there shall be no discrimination in employment at Dalhousie University on any ground prohibited by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms or the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act.

Additionally, the Board and representatives of employee groups at Dalhousie shall aspire to comprehensive statements prohibiting discrimination in employment except for reasons of ability.

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, where agreed, such statements may prohibit discrimination in employment on the following grounds: race, religion, creed, colour, ethnic or national origin, ancestry, gender, marital status, age, place of birth, citizenship (except insofar as citizenship may be a criterion for initial appointment), political affiliation or belief, sexual orientation, membership in a trade union or the exercise of any other right under the Trade Union Act of Nova Scotia, responsibility for dependents, family relationship, personal lifestyle, language, criminal record prior to employment at Dalhousie (provided such a record has not been misrepresented by the person), mental or physical disability, unless a conflict exists with a major bona fide occupational requirement.