Equal by 30 Commitments

In 2019, CEA undertook a staff-led exercise to rewrite our corporate values and supporting and fostering the CEA team was at the heart of the final product. Joining Equal by 30 was a logical extension of this and builds on many of the steps that we have taken.

Already, more than half of CEA’s employees identify as women, including more than 1/3 of management positions. CEA has an existing pay equity plan and it regularly revisits to ensure that compensation is equal within job categories and competitive within the sector.

CEA has adopted flexible working hours and a working-from-home policy to support family-related responsibilities. CEA has a generous parental leave program to support our employees as they begin or expand families. CEA encourages and financially supports continued professional development for staff through ongoing education and secondments. The association is committing to the following measures:

1. Creating opportunities for growth

• CEA will ensure that internal candidates are given a preferential opportunity to apply for new positions, meaning clearer opportunities for advancement and feedback on how to do so.
• CEA will ensure that there is representation from both genders at the symposiums and public events that it hosts.
• CEA will create a peer mentorship program, allowing staff to have opportunities for advice and feedback from senior staff, member representatives, or other professionals.

2. CEA will serve as a venue for sharing best practices on encouraging gender equity

• Working with our member councils and committees, CEA will coordinate the development and sharing of best practices in the electricity utility sector to encourage workplace diversity, including gender.
• CEA holds monthly all-staff “Coffee Talks” to discuss items related to gender best practices including pay equity, pay transparency, health leave, maternity and paternity leave. This forum offers staff the ability to share personal experiences and provide recommendations to ensure the association reacts and responds to these important issues.

3. As part of ongoing updates to its HR policy, CEA will consult with equity experts to explore other opportunities to encourage participation by women in the workplace

4. CEA will promote gender diversity and equity within the electricity sector

• CEA released a new ED&I commitment for the industry endorsed by the Board of Directors. Many of the elements are applicable gender diversity.
• CEA assessed our internal ED& I performance relative to a global benchmark currently used by member companies to assess their own performance.
• CEA will become an advocate for Electricity HR Canada’s Leadership Accord on Gender Diversity.
• CEA will encourage CEA member companies not currently signatories to the “Equal by 30” campaign to consider signing up to it.
• CEA will encourage staff participation and support the activities of organizations like WiRE, WiN, and Women PLT.