workplace
commitment to a respectful
workplace
TELUS has always strived for a workplace where team members demonstrate respect for one another, customers and the community. It is fundamental to our values and has been imbedded in our policies and practices for many years. In 2004, TELUS renewed this focus with the launch of the Respectful Workplace Office.
During 2005, TELUS, in collaboration with our unions, developed and implemented a national Respectful Workplace policy. Under the direction of the Respectful Workplace Office, two major policy-supporting initiatives were also launched to foster a harassment-free workplace.
The first initiative was mandatory training for all team members, which commenced in the first quarter of 2005. During this training, TELUS team members facilitated a two-hour discussion of the TELUS Respectful Workplace policy and the rights and responsibilities that support an inclusive workplace. Training was delivered to 14 per cent of the TELUS team prior to the labour disruption in July, and will continue throughout 2006 to ensure that every member has the opportunity to participate in a session.
The second initiative was a milestone for TELUS. For the first time, representatives from TELUS and delegates from all three unions representing TELUS team members – the Telecommunications Workers Union, the Syndicat Québécois des employés de TELUS and the Syndicat des agents de maîtrise de TELUS – attended an intensive human rights workshop. This customized workshop was delivered by recognized industry experts, concurrently in French and English, and provided a thorough grounding on investigating and resolving workplace issues.
These initiatives, combined with the services of the Respectful Workplace Office, significantly enhance TELUS’ ability to appropriately resolve internal disputes in a fair and objective manner. The office continues to oversee employment equity, diversity and workplace accommodation practices within TELUS.
Workplace indicators
We measure the level of inclusiveness and respect within our workplace through several methods. Complaints filed by our team members with the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) identify practices that are causing concern with team members and provide an objective process for identifying or confirming the appropriateness of practices as business and societal priorities evolve.
The 2005 statistics clearly reflect a noticeable increase in both the new and open complaints from the previous years. New complaints received in 2005 increased by six from 2004, while the open complaints (current and previous years’ complaints still in progress) have nearly doubled from last year.
As in 2004, most complaints are related to the prohibited ground of disability. All 12 new complaints received in 2005 are alleging discrimination based on disability. Eighty-six per cent (12 of the 14) of the open complaints are also based on disability.
There was a decrease in the number of closed files in 2005 compared to last year. Of the 12 complaints closed this year by the CHRC, eight are not proceeding, two have been dismissed, and two were closed as a result of settlement agreements. Ten of the 12 complaints closed in 2005 were based on disability.
A second important indicator of inclusiveness is the representation levels of the four designated groups within the workforce as defined by the Employment Equity Act.
The current workforce composition at TELUS continues to show movement toward the availability within the Canadian workforce. Representation of visible minorities increased year over year and representation of Aboriginal People is above the level of availability within the Canadian workforce. The representation levels of three groups – visible minorities, Aboriginal People and persons with disabilities – are above that of other Canadian telecommunications companies.
Employment equity and diversity practices
We believe that everyone should have access to employment opportunities based on their skills and abilities. In our efforts to ensure our workplace is inclusive and supportive of employment equity and diversity, we consistently look for improvements by analyzing the workplace indicators and listening to team member feedback. In 2005, we focused efforts on removing barriers for advancement for women at all levels of the company. While there is still room for improvement, some significant accomplishments were achieved.
All three of our female executive vice-presidents, Janet Yale, Judy Shuttleworth and Karen Radford, were named to the 2005 list of Canada’s Most Powerful Women compiled by the Women’s Executive Network as part of its annual Top 100 Awards. Reaching out to others in the organization, these women are sponsors of Connections – the TELUS Women’s Network. Through the Connections program, women at all levels of the organization have the opportunity to pursue excellence in their careers by building a supportive network and participating in mentoring relationships.
In November 2005, TELUS was a major sponsor of the First Annual Women’s Leadership Forum held in Calgary, Alberta. Approximately 750 women from a number of different industries attended the forum, which provided a rich learning environment for exploring personal values and strengths, sharing work and life balance practices, and enhancing their leadership capabilities.
Looking beyond our workplace, we strive to do business with organizations and countries known for respecting human rights and child labour laws. As a Canadian-based organization, we fully support the Canadian Human Rights Act in these matters and issue assurances about our own employment equity practices on an as-needed basis.