Equity:  is fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people, while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. Improving equity involves increasing justice and fairness within the procedures and processes of institutions or systems, as well as potentially the distribution of resources. 

Diversity: includes all the different characteristics that make one individual or group different from another. While diversity is often used in reference to ethnicity and gender, we embrace a broader definition of diversity that also includes age, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, and physical appearance. Our definition also includes diversity of thought: ideas, perspectives, and values. 

Inclusion: is the act of creating environments in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate. An inclusive and welcoming climate embraces differences and offers respect for all people. 

Accessibility: means giving people of all abilities opportunities to participate fully in everyday life. Accessibility refers to the ability to access and benefit from a system, service, product, environment, or workplace. It involves identifying, removing, and preventing barriers that may limit a person’s full and equal participation. 

Self-identification data helps us better understand who makes up our workforce; identify barriers to participation and advancement; and, make informed decisions that support equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging at RRC Polytech.  

Employees are encouraged to participate and make their voices heard! 

• It’s quick and easy – the Employment Equity Self-Identification Questionnaire takes about two minutes to complete. 
• It’s simple – you select the option that best represents your status for each of the five equity-deserving groups. 
• It’s voluntary – employees can choose to participate and choose how they want to identify for each equity-deserving group. 
• It’s confidential – self-identification data is collected and stored confidentially, and only aggregate data will be reported. 
• It’s impactful – your participation helps us better understand our workforce; identify gaps and barriers; and, inform programs, policies, and initiatives that support an inclusive and accessible workplace. 

You can self-identify by filling out the  Employment Equity Self-Identification Questionnaire  available in HRIS. The questionnaire is located under “My Portal.,”Log in using your Polytech user name or Polytech email address to access the system. Review your data, and complete or update your self-declaration. 

Please note that you can update your information at any point. Your disclosure is voluntary, confidential, and an important part of shaping our work around equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. 

To learn more on how to self-identify please refer to the  Employment Equity – Self-Identification Questionnaire HRIS Quick Guide. 

Sure, you can. It is acknowledged that an individual’s self-identification and their comfort level in sharing this information may change over time. With this in mind, all employees are encouraged to update their information as they see fit. The system is prepared to save any changes once a day. 

No. Employees on extended leave of absence are not expected to complete the questionnaire while away from work. Employees may complete or update their self-identification information upon their return to work. 

RRC Polytech is committed to fostering an equitable, diverse, inclusive, and accessible workplace that reflects the employees, students, and communities we serve. Self-identification data helps RRC Polytech understand who is represented in our workforce so that we can identify barriers, measure representation, and take meaningful action to improve equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The information collected is used in aggregate form to support data-informed decisions, programs, policies, and initiatives across the Polytech. And, the information collected helps us understand evolving trends at the Polytech and evaluate whether our actions are making a meaningful difference over time.  

No. It is a voluntary process. However, all employees are encouraged to complete the Employment Equity Self-Identification Questionnaire. It is confidential, helps us to better understand our employee and student representation, and is an important part of shaping our work around equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. For each question, you may choose to self-identify, indicate that you are not a member of that group, or select “Prefer not to answer.” 

Diversity language is an evolving field, and therefore, we have used terminology in this survey that is consistent with what is used by the Employment Equity Act (Canada) and Statistics Canada. The language was also shaped through consultations with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, other Canadian post-secondary institutions, and internal EDIA working groups at the Polytech. The five equity-deserving groups are: 

Women: A Woman refers to a person who internally identifies and/or publicly expresses themself as a woman. This may include cisgender and transgender individuals. Cisgender means that one’s gender identity matches one’s sex assigned at birth. Transgender means one’s gender identity differs from one’s sex assigned at birth. 

Indigenous Peoples: An Indigenous person refers to individuals who identify as First Nations (Status or Non-Status), Inuit, or Métis. The term “Indigenous” is widely used and preferred in Canada. It reflects the distinct cultures, identities, and rights of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. Where appropriate, individuals may choose to identify with their specific Nation, community, or Band. 

Persons with disabilities: A person with a disability includes someone who has a significant, recurring or long-term physical, intellectual or learning disability, a sensory challenge, chronic illness and/or a mental health issue which may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. This also may include persons who, due to a disability, have been currently accommodated in the workplace or college life. For more information, visit the  Manitoba Human Rights Commission. 

Racialized Persons: A Racialized person in Canada is someone (other than an Indigenous Person) who self-identifies as a Person of colour or non-white, regardless of birthplace or citizenship (sometimes referred to as “visible minority” or racialized person in Canada’s Employment Equity Act and by Statistics Canada). For more information, visit  Statistics Canada. 

Persons of the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community: A person of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community is someone who identifies as Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning Intersex and additional sexual orientations and gender diverse identities. For more information on the terms, visit  CCDI’s Glossary of Terms. 

We have referenced the  Employment Equity Act (Canada)  to support our commitment to creating a workplace that is fair and equitable. 

Employment Equity is a program that is designed to remove barriers to employment for Indigenous People, persons with disabilities, Racialized Persons, Persons of the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community, and women. Like many equity initiatives, employment equity is ongoing and works to identify and eliminate employment barriers that may exist in procedures and policies. An employment equity program attempts to achieve: 

• A workforce that reflects the diversity of the available labour force 
• Employment systems, policies and practices that support the equitable recruitment, retention and promotion of equity-deserving group members 
• Employment systems that ensure inclusive access to employees in developing their abilities and making the best contribution possible to the workplace 

Yes, participation from all employees helps provide a more complete picture of our workforce. Accurate representation data allows us to better understand who is and is not represented across the organization and supports more meaningful analysis and planning. For each question, you may choose to self-identify, indicate that you are not a member of that group, or select “Prefer not to answer.” 

Yes. If you identify as being a member of more than one equity-deserving group, you should identify yourself under all of the equity-deserving groups that apply to you. 

We recognize that identity is complex and personal, and that some individuals may not see themselves fully reflected in these categories. If you are unsure whether a definition applies to you, review the information provided in the questionnaire and select the response that best reflects your circumstances. 

The terminology used in the Employment Equity Self-Identification Questionnaire is consistent with what is used by the Employment Equity Act (Canada) and Statistics Canada. The language was also shaped through consultations with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, other Canadian post-secondary institutions, and internal EDIA working groups at the Polytech. 

Participation is voluntary, and for each question, you may choose to self-identify, indicate that you are not a member of that group, or select “Prefer not to answer.” 

A person with a disability includes someone who has a significant, recurring or long-term physical, intellectual or learning disability, a sensory impairment, chronic illness and/or a mental/emotional health issue which may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.  Learn more › 

No, the information from this self-identification questionnaire is used to better understand who makes up our workforce; identify barriers to participation and advancement; and make informed decisions that support equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging at RRC Polytech. It is not used for individual accommodation purposes.  

If you require individualaccommodation, please contact your immediate supervisor or the Supportive Employment Program at  supportiveemployment@rrc.ca.  

Yes, any persons with disabilities, including those who have been accommodated in the workplace can identify as a person with a disability. 

For the purpose of self-identification, persons of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community are intended to represent individuals of diverse gender and sexual identities. 

Gender identity refers to one’s internal and psychological sense of themselves as female, male, both or neither. A person’s self-concept of their gender may be the same as or different from their sex at birth (male, female or intersex). A person may also define their gender identity as being more fluid than either male or female. In other words, their gender identity may encompass parts of masculinity, femininity and/or other non-traditional gender expressions. For more information on the terms, visit the   CCDI’s Glossary of Terms. 

Sexual orientation refers to how a person characterizes their emotional and sexual attraction to others. Some terms include asexual, bisexual, gay, heterosexual, lesbian, queer, and Two-Spirit. For more information on the terms, visit  the  CCDI’s Glossary of Terms. 

No. Self-identification information is not used to make decisions about hiring, promotion, performance, compensation, discipline, or employment status. The information you provide is stored securely and confidentially within our employee and student information system. Self-identification is only presented in aggregate formats and is used to develop initiatives to develop programming that is beneficial to all individuals and to remove barriers faced by equity-deserving groups. 

 

This data will be used to set goals, develop action plans, and report on our progress as we advance Commitment 2 of the strategic plan: Commit to Truth and Reconciliation. Pursue equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in everything we do. It will also be used to inform strategies for improving the work and learning experience for all employees and students. 

Yes, we are committed to ensuring your information will be kept confidential. The data you provide will be stored in a secure and confidential system and will not be used for any purpose other than aggregate reporting and data-informed decision-making. Access to identifiable self-identification data is limited to a small number of authorized individuals who require access to support reporting and analysis. When reporting on this data, all analytics will be aggregated and stripped of identifying information. Data will be summarized in broad categories (ex., job categories, departments, academic programs, etc.), which will ensure the privacy of individuals. 

No, in situations where reporting could create a risk of identifying individuals due to small group sizes, data may be combined, suppressed, or reported at a broader organizational level to protect privacy. 

The gathered data will be periodically compiled and analyzed at an aggregate level. This information will be used to understand representation within our employee and student populations, continue to support institutional EDIA action plans, inform the development of future events, programs, and policies, and advance work on Truth and Reconciliation and Indigenous support. 

Employees are encouraged to review their self-identification information on an annual basis and/or update it whenever their identity, circumstances, or comfort level with disclosure changes. 

For more information, please email  diversity@rrc.ca. 

Yes. RRC Polytech is committed to providing equitable access to information, programs and services. If you require assistance to access this information or would like to complete your self-identification in an alternate format, please contact diversity@rrc.ca for assistance.