Tanya Sinclair, who has provided HR leadership at public libraries and big-box retailers, including Best Buy and Home Depot, is the recipient of this year’s Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) Distinguished Professional Award.
Black Canadians are suffering disproportionately from the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new study from Statistics Canada that says the community is facing greater financial and employment challenges than non-minority populations.
Racialized Canadian workers, particularly those who identify as Black, face a host of challenges and discrimination that their white counterparts don’t give a second thought. From access to opportunities, to worrying about how ‘white’ their resume appears, to their ability to be their authentic self at work without repercussions, to being the only person in their workplace to represent their community, Black workers face dozens of everyday hurdles, small and large, that impact their career trajectory and ability to simply make a living.
If your workforce doesn’t reflect the community it serves, your business may be missing out on the chance to find great employees and break into new and growing markets, both locally and globally. Diversity simply makes good business sense.
Employers and leaders have a crucial role to play in creating more inclusive, equitable and balanced workplaces where women of colour are given an opportunity to thrive.
So the question becomes, what are employers doing to support their teams/employees during these uncertain times? In what ways are employers giving space for Black employees to tune into supports that don’t solely rely on mental health professionals and state systems?
