New survey says Black Canadians have mixed feelings about the work place

A new KPMG survey says that Black Canadians feel Corporate Canada is making headway in meeting their 2020 commitments to end anti-Black racism. However, despite these efforts, more than 80 per cent of Black Canadians faced racism in the workplace last year, nearly a 10 per cent increase from what we found a year ago.

“While business leaders can take some comfort in the fact that Black Canadians feel the workplace has become more equitable over the last few years, the reality is, racism and hate crime are on the rise in Canada,” says Elio Luongo, CEO and Senior Partner, KPMG. “As business leaders, we must continue our efforts to build equitable and inclusive workplaces where all our people feel welcomed and safe, and stand up against hate in our communities as well.”

Luongo pointed to some startling statistics: an 83 in hate crimes; 120 percent increase in race-related hate crimes; in Toronto hate crime rose 42 percent in 2023.

Even so, 83 percent of Black Canadians feel they are valued and respected in the same way as their non-Black colleagues; although 78 per cent said they also have to work much harder than their non-Black colleagues to be recognized, an increase of eight per cent over last year. 

“Among the first steps towards change in the workplace are awareness and understanding of racial privilege across social, political, economic, and cultural environments,” says Rob Davis, KPMG’s Chief Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Officer. “The commitment organizations have made to address this within their workplaces is making a difference but unfortunately, progress is uneven.

“Employers need to keep in mind that their Black employees might be facing increased acts of aggression in their personal lives but also at work from customers, suppliers, and contractors.”

KPMG surveyed 1,000 Canadians who self-identified as Black and are employed between December 19, 2023 and January 13, 2024.

For more information, see kpmhttp://kpmg.com/cag.com/ca

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