Employment Equity in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada—Annual Report 2013–14

Employment Equity in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada—Annual Report 2013–14

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ISSN 1920-6887

Introduction

This Annual Report on Employment Equity at the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG, or the Office) highlights employment equity activities between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2014.

It also presents information on the representation of designated groups as of 31 March 2014.

Employment Equity Environment

Enabling legislation

The Office of the Auditor General of Canada has a legislative basis in the Auditor General Act, the Financial Administration Act, and a number of other statutes.

Independence from government

We differ from government departments and agencies through our independence from the government of the day and our reporting relationship to Parliament. Our independence is assured by a broad legislative mandate, freedom from certain controls over our budget and staff, and a 10-year term for the Auditor General.

Application of the Employment Equity Act

The Office of the Auditor General of Canada falls under the Employment Equity Act, section 4(1)(c)—as a portion of the Public Service of Canada.

Our work

The Office of the Auditor General of Canada audits federal government operations and provides Parliament with independent information, advice, and assurance regarding the federal government’s stewardship of public funds. While the Office may comment on policy implementation in an audit, it does not comment on the merits of the policy itself.

We are in the business of legislative auditing. We conduct

We also audit the governments of Nunavut, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories.

Since 1995, the Office has also had a specific environmental and sustainable development mandate, established through amendments to the Auditor General Act.

Our audit findings—which include good practices, areas requiring attention, and recommendations for improvement—are reported to Parliament. The Auditor General’s reports may be reviewed by parliamentary committees, which conduct hearings and make recommendations for action. Legislative assemblies provide the same oversight in the territories. The government has the opportunity to respond to the findings, and may implement recommended changes.

The Office of the Auditor General of Canada also participates in a number of international activities.

Our organization

The Office, which includes the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, is organized into three branches—Audit Practices, Audit Services, and the Management Group. Most employees work in the head office in Ottawa. The regional offices are located in Vancouver, Edmonton, Montréal, and Halifax.

We have a specialized workforce, with about 80 percent of our employees (455 of 571) at the middle management and audit professional levels.

We are committed to providing a work environment in which all are treated with dignity and respect, and all are supported as they work toward their full career potential. We encourage open and honest communication to create a climate of trust and teamwork. We value each other’s talent and diversity, and support learning and quality-of-life endeavours.

Office employees are expected to demonstrate personal integrity and ethics, and to adhere to Office values, standards, and codes of conduct. People management competencies and behaviours are evaluated during recruitment and annual performance appraisals.

Our structure

The Assistant Auditor General of Corporate Services, who is a member of the Executive Committee, serves as employment equity champion and works to raise the profile of employment equity and diversity issues in the Office.

The Office has an active Employment Equity Committee, with subcommittees that represent four designated groups, to promote awareness and understanding of employment equity and diversity issues in the workplace.

The Chair of the Employment Equity Committee reports directly to the Assistant Auditor General of Corporate Services on any employment equity issues of note. The Chair provides input on all policies and issues that may affect employment equity.

Employment Equity Implementation

Implementation of legislation

Our first step in implementing the requirements of the legislation was to organize and complete a self-identification survey. We then did a workforce analysis to determine the degree of representation of members of designated groups in each occupational group.

This analysis is updated annually, and the results as of 31 March 2014 are presented in this report.

Employment equity records

We have implemented procedures for maintaining orderly and accurate employment equity records. We have also developed information vehicles and practices to keep our employees up-to-date on employment equity matters. For example, our INTRAnet provides all employees with easy access to current employment equity information.

All new employees are asked to complete a self-identification questionnaire before their first day at the Office, and notices are sent periodically to remind all employees of their right to self-identify at any time.

Recruitment

Like many other federal organizations, the OAG was subject to a Strategic Operational Review, which has resulted in 34 fewer positions and very limited staffing during the 2013–14 fiscal year.

Activities and events

The Office participates in several activities throughout the year to promote a corporate environment that supports employment equity values and ideals, including the following:

In addition, the Office continues to actively support awareness and fundraising campaigns for causes that affect members of designated groups.

These causes include the following:

Finally, the Office promotes the principles of workplace respect and understanding; it does this during staff orientation and through ongoing in-house training programs. New auditors working in the North receive Cultural Awareness Training, so they can better understand the community in which they work.

The following courses are offered to all managers and staff:

Succession planning

Every year, the number of forecasted retirements is monitored. The Office ensures that it gives due consideration to all designated group members who are involved in annual rotation and promotion processes, by educating hiring managers and representative selection committees.

Over time, these sustained efforts have resulted in opportunities for higher numbers of designated group members to be promoted. This is most evident for women and persons in a visible minority group, who are seen as being well represented among the promotions in the 2013–14 fiscal year. (Table 9)

Canadian Human Rights Commission Audit

In 2011, the Canadian Human Rights Commission completed an analysis of the Office of the Auditor General’s employment equity data. The analysis compared the OAG employment equity results with the performance of other employers that are subject to the Employment Equity Act.

The Commission’s report, available on the OAG website, states:

“The employment equity results ... [for the OAG] are excellent. The overall representation of the four designated groups within OAG’s workforce is higher or close to their labour market availability estimates. Therefore, the OAG is considered a leader in that regard.”

A leader is defined as an employer with better overall employment equity results, in comparison with its own industry, or having full overall representation in three out of four designated groups.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission will monitor the performance of the OAG through a review of the annual reports submitted to the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer.

Employment Equity Plan

Historically, the Office’s employment equity plan has included activities and initiatives intended to increase awareness of equity and diversity issues and to improve opportunities in the workplace for all employees.

When the Office became subject to the Employment Equity Act, the Employment Equity Committee was formed. The Committee’s objective is to promote the Office’s employment equity activities while increasing awareness of equity and diversity issues and enhancing employment and promotion opportunities for all groups.

In response to specific requirements in section 10 of the Employment Equity Act, the Office has always maintained an employment equity plan. The plans cover three-year periods and include specific goals for improved representation.

In the 2012–13 fiscal year, the OAG developed a new three-year Employment Equity Plan to cover the 2012–13, 2013–14, and 2014–15 fiscal years. The Plan was approved and published on our INTRAnet before the end of the 2012–13 fiscal year.

Communication and consultation

Ongoing communication is a critical factor in the success of our employment equity initiative. The Office undertakes a number of communication activities to support the equity and diversity programs. The Office

Numerical goals

We are committed to employment equity ideals, and we work diligently to ensure that these ideals are reflected in our workforce and our workplace.

The Office strives for 100 percent representation of workforce availability for each of the designated groups. The success of our efforts is monitored by the employment equity champion and is reported annually in the departmental performance report.

Employment Equity Numbers

Our employment equity numbers are prepared according to the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system, which was developed by Employment and Social Development Canada (Exhibit 1). This system comprises 14 employment equity occupational groups (EEOGs)—as defined in Schedule II of the Employment Equity Regulations—and 520 NOC unit groups.

Exhibit 1—Classification of Office employees under the National Occupational Classification

Employment Equity Occupational Group Major National Occupation Classification unit group

1 – Senior managers

2 – Middle and other managers

3 – Professionals

4 – Semi-professionals and technicians

5 – Supervisors

7 – Administrative and senior clerical personnel

10 – Clerical personnel

0012 – Senior managers

0414 – Middle managers

1111 – Auditors

1221 – Administrative officers

1441 – Administrative clerks

Classifying our employees under this system shows that we have a very specialized workforce:

Exhibit 2—Distribution of employees by major occupational groups

Pie Chart

[Exhibit 2—text version]

Representation in designated groups—highlights

We compared our representation in each designated group with the most recent workforce availability figures, provided by Employment and Social Development Canada in the Employment Equity Data Report. We used national figures for this comparison in most areas, with the exception of the administrative and senior clerical personnel category and the clerical personnel category, for which we used data from the National Capital Region.

Women

As of 31 March 2014, women represented 62.5 percent of the Office’s workforce, which is slightly higher than the previous year (62.1 percent) and surpasses the workforce availability of 51.2 percent. We continue to surpass workforce availability in five of the seven occupational groups. (Table 4)

Aboriginal peoples

The Office experienced a slight decrease in its representation of Aboriginal employees (from 2.8 to 2.6 percent); however, we continue to meet the workforce availability rate. We have increased our representation of Aboriginal employees among middle and other managers by 20 percent. (Table 5)

Persons with disabilities

For the most part, the Office’s overall representation of persons with disabilities has remained the same over the past five years (around 4 percent, which represents 94.1 percent of workforce availability).

Representation in two categories has increased: senior managers (from 0.0 to 7.1 percent) and clerical personnel (from 2.9 to 3.1 percent). (Table 6)

Persons in a visible minority group

The Office’s overall representation of persons in a visible minority group has increased (from 11.4 to 12.6 percent) during this reporting period. Although we increased our representation of these employees among middle and other managers and among professionals, we experienced a decrease of representation among semi-professionals and technicians. (Table 7)

Representation in hirings, promotions, and separations

This annual report includes an analysis of the number of employees who were hired, promoted, or left the Office and the degree of representation of members of each designated group.

Hiring as a percentage of workforce availability

In the past year, 21 people joined the Office. This represents almost a 40 percent decline in the number of hires from the previous year, which is a direct result of the Strategic Operational Review. However, we exceeded the workforce availability for each designated group. (Table 8)

Promotions

In the 2013–14 fiscal year, 45 Office employees were promoted; this represents 7.4 percent of our employee population. More than half (62 percent) of those promoted were women and 20 percent were persons in a visible minority group. (Table 9)

Separations

In the 2013–14 fiscal year, 55 employees left the Office—an attrition rate of 9.1 percent. This result is lower than the previous year, in which 57 departures were reported. Of those who left,

One point worth highlighting is the continued drop in the attrition rate of the persons in a visible minority group—from a high of 11.5 percent in the 2010–11 fiscal year to 4.3 percent in the 2013–14 fiscal year. (Table 10)

In conclusion, in the current context of fiscal restraint and limited recruitment activities, the Office is satisfied with its results. We continue to focus on meeting 100 percent of workforce availability for all four designated groups, and we strive to find new ways of improving our results.

Appendix—Statistics

Report coverage

This report contains information, as of 31 March 2014, on our indeterminate employees and determinate employees with terms of six months or more. Employees who were on secondment to other organizations are also included in our numbers.

Employees who were on leave without pay from our Office as of 31 March 2014 are not included in the population. Because of the rapid turnover of students and casual employees, no information is reported on them.

Data on people in the designated groups

All data, other than that for women, was obtained through self-identification, the process by which people identify themselves as being from one of the other three designated groups. The data on women was obtained from other human resource information.

The completeness and accuracy of employment equity data depend on employees being willing to self-identify and being given the opportunity to do so.

Our self-identification process began in April 1997. All new employees are asked to complete a questionnaire before their first day at the Office. In addition, at any time during the year, any employee may complete or revise a self-identification questionnaire, which is available from our Human Resources Group.

Tables 4 to 7 show our representation as a percentage of workforce availability, with comparative figures for the prior year. We believe this is the best measure of how well we are progressing toward our goal of achieving a representative workforce.

We provide information by Employment Equity Occupational Group (EEOG). Tables 4 to 7 include information for the two National Occupational Classification (NOC) unit groups that account for the majority of our employees—middle managers (NOC Unit 0414), which is part of EEOG 2 (middle and other managers); and auditors (NOC Unit 1111), included in EEOG 3 (professionals).

List of Tables

Table 1—Representation of designated groups in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada

Table 2—Distribution of employees by designated group and region of work

Table 3—Representation of designated groups by Employment Equity Occupational Group

Table 4—Representation of women by Employment Equity Occupational Group and the two largest National Occupational Classification unit groups

Table 5—Representation of Aboriginal peoples by Employment Equity Occupational Group and the two largest National Occupational Classification unit groups

Table 6—Representation of persons with disabilities by Employment Equity Occupational Group and the two largest National Occupational Classification unit groups

Table 7—Representation of persons in a visible minority by Employment Equity Occupational Group and the two largest National Occupational Classification unit groups

Table 8—Hiring by designated group and Employment Equity Occupational Group

Table 9—Promotions by designated group and Employment Equity Occupational Group

Table 10—Separations by designated group and Employment Equity Occupational Group

Table 11—Distribution of employees by designated group and salary band

Table 1—Representation of designated groups in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada

As at 31 March 2014

All employees Women Aboriginal peoples Persons with disabilities Persons in a visible minority
Number Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage
OAG 571 357 62.5 15 2.6 22 3.9 72 12.6
Workforce availability 51.2 2.2 4.1 13.9

Totals may not equal the sum of components because of rounding and suppression.

Table 2—Distribution of employees by designated group and region of work

As at 31 March 2014

Region of work All employees Women Aboriginal peoples Persons with disabilities Persons in a visible minority
Number Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage
National Capital Region 518 324 62.5 13 2.5 20 3.9 60 11.6
All other regions 53 33 62.3 2 3.8 2 3.8 12 22.6
Total 571 357 62.5 15 2.6 22 3.9 72 12.6

Totals may not equal the sum of components because of rounding and suppression.

Table 3—Representation of designated groups by Employment Equity Occupational Group

As at 31 March 2014

Employment Equity Occupational Group All employees Women Aboriginal peoples Persons with disabilities Persons in a visible minority
Number Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage
All occupations 571 357 62.5 15 2.6 22 3.9 72 12.6
Senior managers
 14 5 35.7 1 7.1 1 7.1 1 7.1
Middle and other managers
 148 83 56.1 5 3.4 7 4.7 6 4.1
Professionals
 307 192 62.5 6 2.0 12 3.9 60 19.5
Semi-professionals and technicians
 18 7 38.9 1 5.6 0 0.0 1 5.6
Supervisors
 3 3 100.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0
Administrative and senior clerical personnel
 17 10 58.8 0 0.0 0 0.0 2 11.8
Clerical personnel
 64 57 89.1 2 3.1 2 3.1 2 3.1

Totals may not equal the sum of components because of rounding and suppression.

Table 4—Representation of women by Employment Equity Occupational Group and the two largest National Occupational Classification unit groups

As at 31 March 2014

Employment Equity Occupational Group All employees Women Workforce availability Representation as a percentage of workforce availability
Number Number Percentage Percentage March 2014 March 2013
All occupations 571 357 62.5 51.2 100.0+ 100.0+
Senior managers
 14 5 35.7 42.2 84.5 67.7
Middle and other managers
 148 83 56.1 41.2 100.0+ 100.0+
Professionals
 307 192 62.5 52.5 100.0+ 100.0+
Semi-professionals and technicians
 18 7 38.9 27.2 100.0+ 100.0+
Supervisors
 3 3 100.0 50.6 100.0+ 100.0+
Administrative and senior clerical personnel
 17 10 58.8 76.8 76.5 76.5*
Clerical personnel
 64 57 89.1 69.8 100.0+ 100.0+
National Occupational Classification unit group All employees Women Workforce availability Representation as a percentage of workforce availability
Number Number Percentage Percentage March 2014 March 2013
Middle managers (0414) 126 69 54.8 39.5 100.0+ 100.0+
Auditors (1111) 253 158 62.5 53.6 100.0+ 100.0+

Totals may not equal the sum of components because of rounding and suppression.

* Revised

Table 5—Representation of Aboriginal peoples by Employment Equity Occupational Group and the two largest National Occupational Classification unit groups

As at 31 March 2014

Employment Equity Occupational Group All employees Aboriginal peoples Workforce availability Representation as a percentage of workforce availability
Number Number Percentage Percentage March 2014 March 2013
All occupations 571 15 2.6 2.2 100.0+ 100.0+
Senior managers
 14 1 7.1 7.2 99.9 99.9*
Middle and other managers
 148 5 3.4 3.9 86.5 65.9*
Professionals
 307 6 2.0 1.2 100.0+ 100.0+
Semi-professionals and technicians
 18 1 5.6 2.2 100.0+ 100.0+
Supervisors
 3 0 0.0 2.1 0.0 0.0
Administrative and senior clerical personnel
 17 0 0.0 1.9 0.0 0.0
Clerical personnel
 64 2 3.1 2.5 100.0+ 100.0+
National Occupational Classification unit group All employees Aboriginal peoples Workforce availability Representation as a percentage of workdorce availability
Number Number Percentage Percentage March 2014 March 2013
Middle managers (0414) 126 3 2.4 4.2 56.5 53.5*
Auditors (1111) 253 4 1.6 1.2 100.0+ 100.0+*

Totals may not equal the sum of components because of rounding and suppression.

* Revised

Table 6—Representation of persons with disabilities by Employment Equity Occupational Group and the two largest National Occupational Classification unit groups

As at 31 March 2014

Employment Equity Occupational Group All employees Persons with disabilities Workforce availability Representation as a percentage of workforce availability
Number Number Percentage Percentage March 2014 March 2013
All occupations 571 22 3.9 4.1 94.1 96.6*
Senior managers
 14 1 7.1 3.2 100.0+ 0.0
Middle and other managers
 148 7 4.7 3.2 100.0+ 100.0+
Professionals
 307 12 3.9 4.5 87.2 93.8*
Semi-professionals and technicians
 18 0 0.0 4.8 0.0 0.0
Supervisors
 3 0 0.0 9.5 0.0 0.0
Administrative and senior clerical personnel
 17 0 0.0 2.6 0.0 100.0+
Clerical personnel
 64 2 3.1 4.4 71.3 65.2*
National Occupational Classification unit group All employees Persons with disabilities Workforce availability Representation as a percentage of workforce availability
Number Number Percentage Percentage March 2014 March 2013
Middle managers (0414) 126 6 4.8 3.2 100.0+ 100.0+
Auditors (1111) 253 9 3.6 4.5 79.4 80.8*

Totals may not equal the sum of components because of rounding and suppression.

* Revised

Table 7—Representation of persons in a visible minority by Employment Equity Occupational Group and the two largest National Occupational Classification unit groups

As at 31 March 2014

Employment Equity Occupational Group All employees Persons in a visible minority Workforce availability Representation as a percentage of workforce availability
Number Number Percentage Percentage March 2014 March 2013
All occupations 571 72 12.6 13.9 91.0 81.7*
Senior managers
 14 1 7.1 4.8 100.0+ 100.0+
Middle and other managers
 148 6 4.1 5.3 76.9 77.2*
Professionals
 307 60 19.5 19.5 100.0+ 88.2*
Semi-professionals and technicians
 18 1 5.6 11.6 47.8 49.6*
Supervisors
 3 0 0.0 9.0 0.0 0.0
Administrative and senior clerical personnel
 17 2 11.8 8.0 100.0+ 100.0+
Clerical personnel
 64 2 3.1 11.1 28.2 25.8*
National Occupational Classification unit group All employees Persons in a visible minority Workforce availability Representation as a percentage of workforce availability
Number Number Percentage Percentage March 2014 March 2013
Middle managers (0414) 126 5 4.0 4.2 94.1 89.2
Auditors (1111) 253 55 21.7 20.5 100.0+ 88.5

Totals may not equal the sum of components because of rounding and suppression.

* Revised

Table 8—Hiring by designated group and Employment Equity Occupational Group

As at 31 March 2014

Employment Equity Occupational Group All employees Women Aboriginal peoples Persons with disabilities Persons in a visible minority
Number Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage
All occupations 21 12 57.1 1 4.8 1 4.8 3 14.3
Senior managers
 1 1 100.0 0 0.0 1 100.0 0 0.0
Middle and other managers
 2 1 50.0 1 50.0 0 0.0 0 0.0
Professionals
 14 8 57.1 0 0.0 0 0.0 3 21.4
Semi-professionals and technicians
 1 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0
Supervisors
 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0
Administrative and senior clerical personnel
 1 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0
Clerical personnel
 2 2 100.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0
All employees Women Aboriginal peoples Persons with disabilities Persons in a visible minority
Number Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage
All occupations 21 12 57.1 1 4.8 1 4.8 3 14.3
Workforce availability 51.2 2.2 4.1 13.9
Hirings as a percentage of workforce availability 100.0+ 100.0+ 100.0+ 100.0+

Data includes employees hired into term positions (six months or more) and indeterminate positions. Totals may not equal the sum of components because of rounding and suppression.

Table 9—Promotions by designated group and Employment Equity Occupational Group

As at 31 March 2014

Employment Equity Occupational Group All employees Women Aboriginal peoples Persons with disabilities Persons in a visible minority
All occupations 45 28 1 0 9
Senior managers
 0 0 0 0 0
Middle and other managers
 2 2 0 0 1
Professionals
 40 24 1 0 8
Semi-professionals and technicians
 0 0 0 0 0
Supervisors
 0 0 0 0 0
Administrative and senior clerical personnel
 0 0 0 0 0
Clerical personnel
 3 2 0 0 0
All employees Women Aboriginal peoples Persons with disabilities Persons in a visible minority
Last year’s total number of employees as at 31 March 2013 605 376 17 24 69
Number 45 28 1 0 9
Promotion rate (percentage) 7.4 7.4 5.9 0.0 13.0

Data includes promotions and reclassifications. Totals may not equal the sum of components because of rounding and suppression.

Table 10—Separations by designated group and Employment Equity Occupational Group

As at 31 March 2014

Employment Equity Occupational Group All employees Women Aboriginal peoples Persons with disabilities Persons in a visible minority
All occupations 55 32 1 3 3
Senior managers
 1 0 0 0 0
Middle and other managers
 9 5 0 0 0
Professionals
 34 19 1 2 3
Semi-professionals and technicians
 0 0 0 0 0
Supervisors
 0 0 0 0 0
Administrative and senior clerical personnel
 2 1 0 1 0
Clerical personnel
 9 7 0 0 0
All employees Women Aboriginal peoples Persons with disabilities Persons in a visible minority
Last year’s total number of employees as at 31 March 2013 605 376 17 24 69
Number 55 32 1 3 3
Attrition rate (percentage) 9.1 8.5 5.9 12.5 4.3

Totals may not equal the sum of components because of rounding and suppression.

Table 11—Distribution of employees by designated group and salary band

As at 31 March 2014

Salary band ($) All employees Women Aboriginal peoples Persons with disabilities Persons in a visible minority
Number Cumulative percentage Number Cumulative percentage Number Cumulative percentage Number Cumulative percentage Number Cumulative percentage
35,000–39,999 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0%
40,000–44,999 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0%
45,000–49,999 5 0.9% 4 1.1% 0 0.0% 1 4.5% 1 1.4%
50,000–54,999 22 4.7% 18 6.2% 1 6.7% 0 4.5% 6 9.7%
55,000–59,999 42 12.1% 30 14.6% 1 13.3% 1 9.1% 5 16.7%
60,000–64,999 50 20.8% 38 25.2% 1 20.0% 1 13.6% 2 19.4%
65,000–69,999 29 25.9% 16 29.7% 0 20.0% 0 13.6% 8 30.0%
70,000–74,999 34 31.9% 23 36.1% 1 26.7% 1 18.2% 8 41.7%
75,000–79,999 29 37.0% 16 40.6% 1 33.3% 1 22.7% 5 48.6%
80,000–89,999 83 51.5% 48 54.1% 4 60.0% 6 50.0% 10 67.5%
90,000–99,999 49 60.1% 32 63.0% 1 66.7% 2 59.1% 8 73.6%
100,000–109,999 75 73.2% 48 76.5% 1 73.3% 1 63.6% 13 91.7%
110,000–119,999 10 75.0% 7 78.4% 0 73.3% 2 72.7% 0 91.7%
120,000 + 143 100.0% 77 100.0% 4 100.0% 6 100.0% 6 100.0%
Total 571 100.0% 357 100.0% 15 100.0% 22 100.0% 72 100.0%

Totals may not equal the sum of components because of rounding and suppression.

 

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