(a) Provide two (2) justifications for a diverse workforce.
CASE INTRODUCTION
Paula Lee was appointed the HR Director at Golden Trust Merchant Bank in Quebec, Canada
on August 5, 2018. Being the first female HR Director and originating from the Caribbean
workplace diversity was one of her priorities, and she was determined to make it happen.
LEGAL AND SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC CONTEXT
In 2001 there were over 700,000 immigrants in Québec, 500,000 of whom were members of
visible minority groups. While at the turn of the 20th Century, most immigrants were from the
United States or European countries, the percentage of immigrants from these countries
gradually decreased, as immigration from Asia and other parts of the world inclusive of the
Caribbean increased. Slow at first, this change became more visible in the eighties. Today, the
vast majority of immigrants are Asian (including South Asians) or Black. Legislation has been
adapted in order to deal with this new reality. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,
which is included in the 1982 Canadian Constitution Act, guarantees equality to every
individual regardless of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, colour, sex, age or disability.
The law allows, however, programs which benefit members of certain groups (such as women,
aboriginals, people with disabilities and visible minorities) which have historically been subject
to discrimination. In 1998, the Equal Opportunities Commission began conducting audits to
access the levels of compliance by organisations.
WORKPLACE DIVERSITY IN THE BANKING SECTOR
Banks are required to deal with an increasingly diverse clientele and therefore must manage
diversity at two levels: in their own workforce, as they are legally bound to do, and in the
market, by fulfilling their clients’ needs.
PEOPLE’S BANK OF QUEBEC
Golden Trust Merchant Bank has 10,000 unionized employees with visible minority groups
accounting for less than 6% of the workforce; the Bank’s employees were almost entirely
French-speaking Quebecois. Women constituted a significant proportion of the workforce, but were under-represented in management jobs. Indeed, while over 80% of administrative and
office employees were women, they represented only 18% of senior managers. Since the
introduction of the first Employment Equity Act, in 1986, several employment equity plans
had been devised, but none had led to any concrete changes.
Paula understands that there are competent and talented people which the Bank would benefit
from having in its ranks who are among the underrepresented groups. She was also convinced
that, with a more diversified workforce, the Bank would be better able to respond to the needs
of its increasingly diverse clientele. According to Paula, it was a matter of performing better,
rather than simply complying with legal requirements.
QUESTION
You have been employed as the Human Resource Manager to assist Paula in convincing the
Executive Team to adopt a culture of diversity.
(a) Provide two (2) justifications for a diverse workforce.
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