Archived - Requirement 11

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Make Reasonable Efforts and Achieve Reasonable Progress

The employer must make all reasonable efforts to implement employment equity so that reasonable progress is made towards having full representation. What is considered reasonable will vary from one situation to another. The Act requires the employer to achieve a representative workforce within a reasonable period of time. In doing so, the employer must make an employment equity plan which has acceptable goals (Requirement 7) and sufficient measures in place to support these goals (Requirements 8 and 9). If the plan does not meet this standard reasonable progress would not be possible and the plan would be considered insufficient.

Reasonable Progress

Evidence that reasonable progress is being made includes:

  • meeting the hiring and promotion goals by reaching at least 80% of the goals set out in the employment equity plan; and
  • moving forward in closing gaps in representation within the timeframe covered by the employment equity plan (i.e. one to three years).

Reasonable Efforts

Evidence that reasonable efforts are being made includes:

  • implementing and maintaining an employment equity plan that has, or will, lead to reasonable progress and to a fully representative workforce;
  • adherence to timelines made for the implementation of employment equity measures and activities;
  • evidence of ongoing support at the senior level for employment equity and its implementation;
  • functioning accountability mechanisms;
  • adequate resources (financial and human) to implement each measure in the employment equity plan;
  • adopting more appropriate measures to remove barriers where original measures were not implemented, or were found to have little or no effect; and
  • taking on new or more measures that were not included in the original employment equity plan.

NOTE: "Reasonable efforts" do not mean the employer must take action that would cause undue hardship, hire or promote unqualified persons or create new positions.

Legislative Reference:

Other applicable sections:

Employment Equity Act, Sections 11, Subsection 12(a)
Employment Equity Act, Section 17
Employment Equity Regulations, Sections 11, 12

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Date Modified:
2012-02-27