If you have identified gaps in the representation of the members of any one of the four designated groups, you must create an employment equity plan. This is the fourth of the nine employment equity requirements.
About an employment equity plan
An employment equity plan is a document that sets out a plan (actions, timelines, persons responsible etc.) to address employment barriers and under-representation of designated groups. It flows from the employment systems review (ESR), and must respond to barriers identified in the ESR. Therefore, you have to complete an ESR before creating an employment equity plan. A plan to conduct an ESR is not an employment equity plan.
A good employment equity plan will include:
- Measures to remove any of the barriers identified in the ESR. (i.e. hiring, training, promotion and retention of people from the designated groups, as well as for making reasonable accommodations for those people.)
- Positive policies and practices to ensure that all employees, including designated group members can work in a harassment-free and equitable workplace. Examples would be harassment and employment equity policies.
- Special targeted measures to increase the representation of under-represented designated groups. These may include targeted recruitment, diversity training, etc. (Note: special measures should be specific to occupational group where gaps exist.)
- Short-term hiring and promotion goals to eliminate the under-representation by occupational group.
- Longer-term representation goals which commit the organisation to achieving full-representation.
- A strategy to ensure the workplace is accessible to persons with disabilities.
- Clear timeframes, accountability and performance measurement for those who are designated responsible for the organization’s employment equity goals.