As Canada celebrates Black History Month, as is the case every February, the federal government has unveiled measures aimed at promoting the professional advancement of its Black employees and ensuring their well-being, following denunciations of racist practices within the federal public service in recent years.

The Treasury Board of the federal government had allocated $45.9 million in the latest budget to fund an action plan to support Black employees in the federal public service. However, the government had not yet announced details on the distribution of the amount.

Of this total amount, the value of the measures announced this morning by the President of the Treasury Board, Anita Anand, is $14 million. However, Anand recognizes that there is still much to be done.

’’We have listened, to some extent, and taken steps to implement programs. But, to be honest, we have not done enough and have not done it quickly enough,’’ Minister Anand said in a solemn tone.

’’The trust of the Black community in our institutions has been shattered. I see that when I speak with you,’’ Anand said, addressing members of the Black community, ’’I hear that in your voices.’’

Anand added that the announced measures are only the beginning.

Mental health and career advancement
As part of the measures announced today, $6 million will be transferred to the federal Health Ministry to improve the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). This program will use the amount to train counselors from Black communities to assist public service employees and their families quickly and effectively.

The services will be ’’culturally adapted and will take into account the trauma they suffer,’’ according to a press release.

The Minister Anand also announced a program on leadership skills for Black senior executives with a total value of $7 million. Within this framework, the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) will host four groups, each consisting of 25 Black senior executives over the next two years to enhance their professional development.

An amount of $1.1 million will be allocated over three years to the Federal Public Service Commission (PSC) to develop a pilot project aimed at enhancing the professional development of Black employees. This project will be directed at all Black employees in the federal public service, unlike the above-mentioned program which concerns only three levels of senior positions.

Racist practices within the federal public service have been denounced several times in recent years. In 2020, a class action lawsuit was filed at the Federal Court by Black employees seeking compensation for acts of discrimination they claimed to have experienced.

The class action lawsuit has not yet been approved. The Federal Court will consider this case in the coming months.

In a survey conducted in 2022, 11% of Black government employees said they had experienced discrimination at work.