As Canadians mark Black History Month this February, a survey by KPMG shows progress in Canada’s efforts to combat racism.
The study reveals ongoing advancements made by Canadian companies in creating a more favorable workplace for Black employees.
The study reveals 83 per cent of Black Canadians say their employer has made progress on their promises to be more equitable and inclusive for Black employees over the last year. Another 82 per cent agree that their company has made “significant progress” in creating a more equitable and inclusive workplace for Black employees in the almost four years since African American George Floyd Jr.’s murder and the global Black Lives Matter protests.
Yet, eight in 10 Black Canadians say they are still facing some form of racism or microaggression at work.
“In our third survey in as many years, Black Canadians feel that Corporate Canada is making headway in meeting their 2020 commitments to end anti-Black racism, create more inclusive workplace environments, and promote more Black people to leadership roles,” says Elio Luongo, CEO and Senior Partner, KPMG Canada.
“However, despite these efforts, more than 80 per cent of Black Canadians faced racism in the workplace last year, nearly a 10 per cent increase from what we found a year ago.”
The poll findings show a significant increase across Canadian workplaces in understanding the societal and workplace barriers faced by Black Canadians.
Three-quarters of Black Canadians say their co-workers’ understanding improved over the past year and 76 per cent said their manager or supervisor’s understanding improved. In total 74 per cent of Black Canadians say top management’s understanding of workplace barriers has improved, which is an increase of 16 per cent in the past year.