Women

It's not a problem for women to get into the workforce. Their representation exceeds the Commission's goal of 45%. Rather, women face barriers to equality when they try to get jobs as managers or in non-traditional occupations.

Reports from equity employers show women continue to be underrepresented at the management level. Women held 32.1% of all management positions - the long-term goal is 45%. They held 20.2% of senior management positions and 32.9% of middle-management positions.

The report called the overall trend for women in senior management "disappointing." Only 10 equity workplaces showed an increase in women managers, while 11 equity workplaces reported they had fewer women in senior management than in the year before.

In the jobs where women are traditionally underrepresented - labourers, tradespersons, firefighters, bus drivers, police officers, for example - women held only 17.2% of those positions. Women continue to be concentrated in particular occupational groups, such as clerical and administrative support positions.

Visible minority people

Employment equity in Saskatchewan is having the best results for visible minority people. Reports from equity workplaces show that visible minority people comprise 2.7% of those workplaces, which matches their representation in the population as a whole.

However, the stats also show that there is great variation in the representation of visible minority persons. Some employers have very few or no visible minority employees, while others report representation as high as 10 percent.

Because visible minority persons are concentrated in urban areas, employers in Saskatoon and Regina whose labour force is drawn from those two cities have set goals of 4.7% and 5.1% respectively.

Four new equity plans

And now for the good news. In 1996-97 the commission approved four equity plans submitted by the following sponsors: John Howard Society, Saskatchewan Opportunities Corporation, Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation, and the City of Prince Albert.

The report also highlights the following good news: employers are going beyond the legal criteria for equity programs to work towards equity not only for designated group members, but for all employees.

"In the Commission's view, this shows an enlightened approach to the management of human resources. These programs are usually referred to as `diversity' programs, rather the `equity' programs. The concept of diversity takes into consideration that each one of us is different. Each of us, at times, may need our differences acknowledged and accommodated," the report stated.

The report also reported that several more health boards entered into partnership agreements with the Saskatchewan Indian and Metis Affairs Secretariat. The partners will be working on special measures to increase employment and economic opportunities for Aboriginal people and to improve the quality of service to them. The Commission noted this is another initiative that goes beyond the basic requirements of an equity program.

Important special measures

The employment equity report identified two important special measures - commitment by senior managers and cracking the glass ceiling. Equity workplaces need to take these issues seriously.

Commitment by senior managers Although all equity workplaces report that senior management supports their equity initiatives, nevertheless, senior managers in a number of equity workplaces need to focus more specifically on the equity program.

In many organizations, it is difficult for even sincerely committed senior-level managers to keep on top of the equity program when they face multiple demands on their time and declining resources to meet those demands. As well, senior-level managers usually need to be educated on equity issues. In their move to management, few of them have needed to develop a knowledge of equity programs and an understanding of their importance, impact and philosophy.

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Justice Minister John Nilson tabled the Commission's annual report in the legislature at the end of March. The report covers the Commission's activities during the fiscal year April 1, 1995 to March 31, 1996. Copies of the report are available from the Commission's offices in Saskatoon and Regina.