Ontario. Ministry of Community and Social Services. Employment Equity Program Office

• Employment Equity

• Affirmative Action Program

• Employment Equity Office

The program had the following evolution: 1981, Affirmative Action Program created in the Ministry, part of Finance and Administration Division, staffed by one Coordinator and one Program assistant; 1986, Affirmative Action Program, part of Finance and Administration Division, comprised of one Manager, two 'Affirmative Action Officers'; 1987-1990, renamed the Employment Equity Program, part of Finance and Administration Division and comprised of one program director, two program officers, two program assistants; 1991, Employment Equity Program moved to Human Resources; 1994, Employment Equity Program, part of Human Resources, staffed by one Manager, three Program Advisers, one data analyst, three training officers, one administrative assistant, one administrative secretary, and one Workplace Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Coordinator.

In 1995 functions were merged into two new areas: Employee Relations and Compensation Unit and Equal Opportunity Unit within Human Resources Branch of the Ministry of Community and Social Services.

The Employment Equity Program Office was responsible for co-ordinating and implementing Ontario Public Service programs within the Ministry to promote workplace equality, as part of a government wide emphasis on issues related to fairness in employment and human resources practices.

The Annual Report for the Ministry of Community and Social Services, 1981-82 states the following: "The Ministry is committed to Management Board of Cabinet's directive that the government should have an Affirmative Action Program. The program attempts to increase the pool of qualified women in the Ontario Public Service, to encourage the fullest use of women's potential and to increase women's awareness of the many non-traditional jobs that they can consider." During 1981-82, increased management accountability for the program was emphasized.

The function goes back at least to 1975 with the Ministry of Labour, Women Crown Employees Office acting as consultant to Ontario government ministries and Crown agencies in developing, coordinating and monitoring 'affirmative action' plans to upgrade the status of their women employees.

By the 1990s the Employment Equity Program Office developed employment plans and reports on progress toward employment equity for aboriginal peoples, Francophones, persons with disabilities, racial minorities, and women. It also delivered equity-related training and communications, maintained workforce profile data and administered employment equity funds.

RAD: Rules for Archival Description, 2nd edn (2008)

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

Kwik indexes to Services of the Ontario Government, 1975-1996; Ontario Government Telephone Directories

Archivist(s):
Solovitch