fostering employment equity and diversity in the nova scotia legal

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2000 Three Graduates One is with Department of Justice, Nova Scotia One is unemployed One is with a law firm in New Brunswick 15
EQUITY HIRING GUIDELINES - AN OVERVIEW The committee recognizes that a commitment to employment equity and affirmative action will only be effective if law firms have good human resource practices in order to create a workplace that welcomes diversity and recognizes ability. Good intentions are not enough and a compliance regime is required if the government is to be fair to both indigenous Black and Mi’kmaq lawyers and law firms that achieve employment equity. By adopting an employment equity policy and enforcing it, the government can ensure that law firms not only make a commitment to good practice but implement good practices. The committee drafted a policy that would not only require law firms to adopt an affirmative action program but also provide a checklist of steps any employer should undertake. The policy, as set out in Part II of this report, opens with a description of employment equity and affirmative action and a commitment to use only private law firms that are in compliance with the policy. Law firms would be required to commit to employment equity and make the commitment known to its workforce. We believe law firms that make the commitment will wish to keep the commitment and that the commitment will itself create an impetus toward an open, welcoming workplace for all members of equity seeking groups. At the centre of the policy is the action plan. The action plan promotes good human resource practices such as up-to-date position descriptions and equitable hiring, promotion and retention practices. But it also allows the Department of Justice to monitor the performance of the law firm in achieving its affirmative action targets and goals. This entails numerical goals and objectives. In encouraging law firms to achieve numerical goals the Equity Hiring Guidelines do not require the hiring of a person who does not have the qualifications to perform the job properly, nor do the guidelines call for the hiring of an unqualified person in preference to a candidate who is qualified. The goal setting process is used to target and measure the effectiveness of the Equity Hiring Guidelines. Moreover the guidelines incorporate a flexibility designed to ensure that the numerical objectives are realistically established in consultation with the law firms. Compliance is measured by whether the firm has made good faith efforts to meet its goals. Failure to meet goals is not a violation of the equity hiring guidelines provided the firm satisfies the Minister it has made its best effort to comply. The Department of Justice representatives on the Committee, Doug Keefe and Judith Ferguson, expressed some concern about numerical goals and objectives and requested that an addendum be attached to this report. 16
Page 1 and 2: FOSTERING EMPLOYMENT EQUITY AND DIV
Page 3 and 4: Ms. Heidi Marshall was unable to co
Page 5 and 6: To the Honourable Michael Baker, Q.
Page 7 and 8: APPENDIX A ........................
Page 9 and 10: FOSTERING EMPLOYMENT EQUITY AND DIV
Page 11 and 12: THE COMMITTEE’S APPROACH TO THE T
Page 13 and 14: THE NOVA SCOTIA BARRISTERS’ SOCIE
Page 15 and 16: It is important to note that Rule 2
Page 17 and 18: terms by previously oppressed peopl
Page 19 and 20: advancement within the firms appear
Page 21: 1995 Eight Graduates Two are with l
Page 25 and 26: PART II 18
Page 27 and 28: PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA EMPLOYMENT
Page 29 and 30: Co-ordinator on employment equity a
Page 31 and 32: 6.6 The law firm will report to the
Page 33 and 34: COMMITMENT FOR CROWN LAW AGENTS Thi
Page 35 and 36: REGULATIONS MADE UNDER THE GOVERNME
Page 37 and 38: (2) The Minister may require such a
Page 42 and 43: APPENDIX B 35
Page 44 and 45: • Law Society of Upper Canada. 19
Page 46 and 47: • South Carolina Consolidated Pro
Page 48: ADDENDUM 41

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