Canadian HR Reporter

PM40065782 RO9496 THE NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT March 2018 www.hrreporter.com Name-blind recruitment pilot sees mixed results 'We're going to continue working to do our bit to eliminate bias' BY SARAH DOBSON AN ambitious plan to use name- blind recruitment to combat discrimination in the federal public service has come back with mixed results. Removing identifying candidate information from job applications had no effect on the screening decisions of managers when it came to applications from visible minority groups, according to the Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC), which carried out the pilot project. "We wanted to test it, we know other jurisdictions had done simi- lar types of pilots or tests, and we were aware in some cases it did lead to diff erent outcomes," said Patrick Borbey, president of the PSC. "So we went in with an open mind, and wanted to make sure the pilot was going to be as sound as possible." "It's opened up some further work, further avenues we want to pursue, and it's also raised the level of sensitivity to this issue among managers, so that's a good thing," he said. "I know there will continue to be people who feel frustrated they're getting screened out, and we can't guarantee there's not discrimina- tion, there's not bias known or un- known, but we're going to continue working to do our bit to eliminate that as much as possible." NO DISCOUNTS FOR WALMART Company ordered to pay $750,000 in moral, punitive damages to former executive BY SARAH DOBSON A n executive at Walmart Canada who suf- fered considerable distress in a drawn-out dismissal saw some relief recently after be- ing awarded $750,000 in moral and punitive dam- ages — one of the largest such awards in Canadian employment law. " is is about how not to dismiss an employee," said Natalie MacDonald, owner and founder of Mac- Donald & Associates in Toronto, who represented the plaintiff , Gail Galea. " is is about how not to embarrass and humiliate an employee, and about how an organization must conduct itself throughout as appropriate." e case sends a very strong message, she said. "If you lie and cheat with employees, you're going to get dinged, and courts are not reserved about it anymore." Background Galea was hired by Walmart Canada in 2002 as dis- trict manager-in-training. She was promoted several times through the next eight years to district manager, regional manager, regional vice-president, general merchandise manager and vice-president of general merchandising — with expectations she would one day become chief merchandising offi cer. Galea "proved herself a rising star in the (Walmart) fi rmament," said the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in its Dec. 7 decision. She was asked to join several groups involving accelerated management, women leaders and executive development. But in January 2010, as part of a restructuring, Ga- lea was removed from her role and informed her re- sponsibilities were changing, with the possibility of an ex-patriate assignment. And in February, she was told she would be senior vice-president of merchandising and strategic initiatives, moving from a member of the senior executive team to a supporting position. Over the next few months, Galea's role was never clearly defi ned, despite her best eff orts. She also dis- covered her performance rating was lowered so she was no longer considered promotable. And after at- tending an eight-week program at Harvard University, Galea returned to fi nd her personal eff ects had been moved to another offi ce and her phone disconnected. Finally, in November 2010, Galea was off ered either a severance package or the position of senior vice- president of e-commerce, a role she did not consider comparable to her experience. Credit: Sarah Dobson Walmart's behaviour was "not just unduly insensitive, it was mean," said Justice Michael Emery in a recent decision. DAMAGES > pg. 9 The Public Service Commission of Canada building in Gatineau, Que. ANONYMIZING > pg. 8 Credit: Google Street View Debunking the intelligence revolution How will technological advances affect the future of HR? page 3 Supporting mental health RBC, Manulife, Stikeman Elliott talk about workplace initiatives page 7 page 16 Building a learning nation Rapid pace of economic change will require new toolsets for workers RBC, Manulife, Stikeman Elliott talk about workplace initiatives Make way for micro-credentials 'Badges' helps employers nd candidates with competencies page 19

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