About the National Employment Equity Council

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Employment equity is established in Canadian law and forms part of Canada’s broader human rights and equality framework.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees equality before and under the law and equal protection and benefit of the law without discrimination. It also recognizes that laws, programs and activities designed to improve the conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups are consistent with equality rights.

The Canadian Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in federally regulated employment and services on specified grounds and provides an important foundation for addressing discriminatory practices in the workplace.

The Employment Equity Act provides Canada’s principal federal legislative framework specifically for employment equity. It requires covered employers to identify and remove employment barriers and to take measures to achieve equitable representation in the workplace.

The current Act identifies four designated groups: women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities. It applies to the federal public service and other parts of the federal public sector, as well as federally regulated private-sector employers and Crown corporations with 100 or more employees. This includes employers in sectors such as banking, communications and transportation.

Together, these laws form an important part of Canada’s legal framework for advancing equality, preventing discrimination and addressing systemic barriers in employment.

The National Employment Equity Council works to advance, monitor and protect employment equity within this broader legal and public policy framework.