Privy Council Office workers face culture of 'racial stereotyping': internal report
Managers used the N-word 'comfortably' in presence of Black employees, report says
Black, Indigenous and racialized employees in the Privy Council Office are regularly subjected to a culture of "racial stereotyping, microagressions and verbal violence," according to the findings of an internal report.
The damning report — obtained by the Coalition Against Workplace Discrimination through the Access to Information Act and released by the coalition Monday — said the office does not have a grasp on the scope or impact of the discrimination that those employees face.
There are also "significant material barriers to meaningful representation and inclusion" in the workplace, it says.
The Privy Council Office's 1,200 employees make up the lead branch of the civil service, providing support for the prime minister and cabinet in executing policy directives across the federal government.
According to the report, Black employees reported managers using the N-word "comfortably in their presence" and later expressing surprise at "not knowing" it was a pejorative term for Black people.
Report on discrimination at Privy Council Office 'shocking'
The report also says managers made Islamophobic remarks and "feigned innocence when white employees have unfairly advanced at their expense."
The report's author, associate professor and researcher at St. Mary's University Rachel Zellars, said one of her key findings was a culture that "discourages reporting," with employees widely noting that "accountability mechanisms are currently non-existent."
Zellars compiled her report after speaking with 58 employees in the office from November 2021 to May 2022.
"When we received this report, it was shocking," said Nicholas Marcus Thompson, president and CEO of the Black Class Action Secretariat, at a Monday news conference after the report was released.
"This is the head of the public service. This is the Privy Council Office that directed the entire federal public service to address racism," he said. "While it is shocking, it is what we've seen across the public service, across all departments and agencies."
In January 2021, Ian Shugart, the former clerk of the Privy Council, secretary to the cabinet and head of the federal public service, called on leaders across the public service to take actions to advance anti-racism initiatives and foster systemic change.
The office commissioned the work that resulted in the internal report as part of this 2021 call to action. Thompson said Monday that Shugart's call has been ignored.
"Despite a call to action from the clerk himself for the public service to take specific and meaningful actions to address racism, equity and inclusion, the report identified the PCO's own corporate services as a key barrier to that call to action," he said.
The coalition is calling for the resignation of two members of the office's leadership for failures to address issues outlined in the report, including the deputy clerk in charge of the discrimination file.
Additionally, the coalition is calling for the government to settle the Black employees' class action lawsuit.
'Double standards'
Black employees interviewed by Zellars reported "double standards" in the career advancement opportunities afforded to them — like access to French-language training, something that's been identified as a key factor for moving up at the Privy Council Office.
They also shared stories of being "discouraged" from taking part in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work. Black employees said the messaging they got was that it would be a conflict with their non-partisan commitment as civil servants and could "detract from their real 9-5" work.
Non-black racialized employees reported seeing instances where career advancement for Black employees was hindered by managers and other employees.
Indigenous employees called on the office to define what reconciliation means for the department and for management to identify tangible initiatives they can achieve.
"White employees and executives detailed personal experiences and career-advancing opportunities that were in stark variance from Black, Indigenous and racialized employees," the report said.
4 pages of recommendations
The report includes four pages of recommendations for how the office's leadership can address some of the concerns.
The recommendations include modifications to hiring and promotion practices, including "name-blind screening" where applicable.
The report also emphasizes the importance of building trust in employees when it comes to DEI work. It calls on leadership to implement programs aimed at building a better understanding of the historical context around the Black Canadian experience.
In a July 26 letter to Thompson and shared Monday by the coalition, deputy clerk Christiane Fox said leaders are committed to bringing change across the civil service and within the office.
The public service has historically proven to be incapable of policing itself on systemic discrimination.- Nicholas Marcus Thompson
Those measures include sharing quarterly "employment equity dashboards" aimed at identifying representation gaps and setting goals on recruitment and promotions, appointing a chief diversity officer that reports to the clerk of the Privy Council, and establishing new tools people can use to report issues without fear of reprisal.
"I would like to reassure you that the clerk and I, and the entire management team at PCO, are committed to action and results that remove barriers and ensure that Indigenous employees, Black and racialized employees fully benefit from the opportunities and experiences PCO offers," Fox wrote.
In a separate statement to CBC News on Monday, Privy Council Clerk John Hannaford reiterated much of what Fox wrote in her letter.
"The entire management team and I are committed to taking continuous action to identify and address any barriers that may exist in the federal public service," Hannaford said in his statement. "We can best serve the government and Canadians when employees feel heard, valued, respected, and included."
Despite the assurance, Thompson said he doesn't have confidence in the Privy Council Office's ability to implement change by itself.
"We are witnessing a scenario where those who have been perpetrators of harm are now tasked with carrying out the solutions. We have seen time and again that this simply does not work," Thompson said.
"The public service has historically proven to be incapable of policing itself on systemic discrimination."
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