Question Period Note: Pay and Employment Equity in the Federal Public Service

• The Government is committed to ensuring full representation of all employment equity groups at all levels in the Public Service.
• To this end, the Government has launched several initiatives, such as the Action Plan for Black Public Servants, to improve diversity and inclusion across all departments. This program provides Black employees with career and leadership development support.
• As well, the Mosaic Leadership development program helps prepare employees from equity seeking groups for senior-level positions. Many graduates of this program are now working as public service executives.
• There is more to be done, but we are making progress through deliberate and meaningful action, and we will continue to do so.

The President of the Treasury Board tabled the 2023-2024 Employment Equity Annual Report on May 26, 2025. The report shows that through deliberate action, progress has been made with regards to representation of the four designated groups (women, persons with disabilities, visible minorities and Indigenous employees). As of March 31, 2024, 70.6% of the core public administration belonged to one or more employment equity group.
Representation of Black employees has increased from 2.8% as of March 2017 to 5.0% as of March 2024. As of March 2024, of the 61,015 people who self-identified as a member of a visible minority group, 13,270 self-identified as Black, which is an increase of 1,499 employees since last year.
When discussing salary range distribution, it is important to note that salary is influenced by several factors such as occupational groups, levels and years of service. Black employees have the highest distribution of employees in the $50,000 to $74,999 salary range compared to the employment equity designated groups and the Core Public Administration (CPA). However, there is an increase in the distribution of Black employees in the higher salary ranges, especially in the salary ranges of $100,000 to $124,999 (12.4% as of March 2023 compared to 15.6% as of March 2024) and $125,000 to $149,999 (2.9% as of March 2023 compared to 6.0% as of March 2024). This suggests that employment equity initiatives and programs to level the playing field across the talent pool may be demonstrating a positive effect.
Equity, diversity, and inclusion are embedded in the legislation, policy, and governance of the federal public service, with frameworks such as the Employment Equity Act, the Canadian Human Rights Act, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms mandating non-discrimination and equal opportunities, while policies like the Treasury Board's People Management Policy and the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector reinforce inclusive and barrier-free workplaces.
In January 2021, the Clerk of the Privy Council launched the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion, calling on deputy heads to take deliberate actions to address systemic racism and make the public service more diverse and inclusive. The Forward Direction in 2024 emphasized consequential accountability in advancing a diverse and inclusive public service.
The 2020 Fall Economic Statement announced the creation of the Centre on Diversity and Inclusion within the Treasury Board Secretariat to accelerate progress toward a more representative and inclusive public service. From 2021 to 2023, the Centre developed enterprise-wide solutions in collaboration with employees from equity-seeking groups, partners, and stakeholders. Its work aligned with the five diversity and inclusion priorities set by the President of the Treasury Board in 2021: improving data, setting benchmarks, increasing leadership diversity, fostering inclusion, and removing systemic barriers. The funding for the Centre was not renewed in 2023 and its work was integrated into the ongoing operations of the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer in the Treasury Board Secretariat.
Most recent examples of the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer (OCHRO) work to support equity, diversity and inclusion include:
• The Mosaic Leadership Development program aims to remove barriers faced by diverse public servants by providing high-potential employees from equity-seeking groups with sponsorship, leadership training and stretch assignments to prepare for service in the executive ranks. Of the 39 participants who graduated from the first cohort in March 2023, more than half are already appointed or acting in EX-01 or equivalent positions. One third of the 48 participants in the second cohort of the Program, which ended in December 2024, have been appointed to EX-01 positions. The third cohort of the Program was launched with 50 participants in September 2024
• We are modernizing the collection of self-identification information to fulfill obligations under the Employment Equity Act and to foster inclusion across the public service by transitioning from data collection using over 30 systems to a single centralized platform, making it convenient, portable and keeping the information secure. This inclusive questionnaire will allow all employees to self-identify, which will provide us with a clearer picture of the public service’s demographic composition and develop programs and services to meet the needs of the diverse Canadian population.
• In Spring 2024, OCHRO conducted an extensive consultation process with employees from all designated and equity-seeking groups from across the public service to gather input on the Labour Minister's proposed modernization of the Employment Equity Act. A total of 2,835 participants took part in 23 consultation sessions, all of which were bilingual and accessible and a What We Heard report was provided to Labour Program.
In addition, Budgets 2022 and 2023 announced nearly $50 million to create career development programs and a mental health fund for Black public servants. The Task Force for Black Public Servants was established in the Treasury Board Secretariat in June 2023 to oversee the development and implementation of the Action Plan for Black Public Servants. Former Presidents of the Treasury Board have announced new programs in February 2024 and 2025.
The Action Plan for Black Public Servants aims to improve mental health and career outcomes for Black public servants through two main pillars:
1. Mental Health Fund: $24.9 million over four years to address anti-Black racism impacts and improve mental health outcomes.
2. Career and Leadership Development Programs: $19.4 million over four years for training, mentorship, and career opportunities.
Budget 2024 renewed the Office of Public Service Accessibility in the Treasury Board Secretariat to help the federal public service meet or exceed the requirements of the Accessible Canada Act. The Government of Canada continues to implement Nothing Without Us: An Accessibility Strategy for the Federal Public Service. The Act requires that all federally regulated entities identify, prevent and remove barriers to accessibility, with input from persons with disabilities at every step in the process.
The Government of Canada is committed to creating an inclusive public service where women receive equal pay for work of equal value. OCHRO, on behalf of the Treasury Board as the employer, is responsible for implementing the Pay Equity Act for employees in the core public administration, for members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and for members of the Canadian Armed Forces. This multi-year initiative includes developing pay equity plans with bargaining agents and employee representatives and then adjusting wages, as required, to ensure women receive equal pay for work of equal value moving forward.

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