Workforce Availability (WFA) Overview
Canadian federal public service departments and agencies often have questions about Workforce Availability when carrying out an Employment Systems Review (an employment equity of the organization review that is a legal requirement for organizations with more than 100 employees). For example, LEIC clients often ask why their workforce analysis data set seems different to that used by other departments. For example, some have one set of Workforce Availability (WFA), and others seem to have more tailored data. Below is our current understanding of what is what.
1. Why does the public service use Workforce Availability data for Employment Systems Reviews?
Departments and agencies have a legal requirement to use Workforce Availability data in their employment equity planning. The Employment Equity Act requires organizations to use workforce availability data to find out if representation gaps exist for designated groups in their workforce. This step, known as the workforce analysis, compares the representation of designated groups in an organization with their workforce availability on the labour market.
From the Act:
In establishing the short-term numerical goals referred to in section 10(2) of the Act, every employer shall consider
(a) the degree of underrepresentation of persons in each designated group* in each occupational group within the employer’s workforce;
(b) the availability of qualified persons in designated groups within the employer’s workforce and in the Canadian workforce;
(c) the anticipated growth or reduction of the employer’s workforce during the period in respect of which the numerical goals apply;
(d) the anticipated turnover of employees within the employer’s workforce during the period in respect of which the numerical goals apply; and
(e) any other factor that may be prescribed.
* Designated groups included in the Employment Equity Act: Women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized people.
2. Where does Workforce Availability (WFA) data come from?
The Workforce Availability data for women, Indigenous Peoples, and Black and racialized people (visible minorities) comes from the Canada census, administered by Statistics Canada every five years.
The Workforce Availability data for persons with disabilities comes from a Canadian Survey on Disability which is carried out every five years following the census. (An internet search for "Canadian Survey on Disability" will provide more information).
3. What is the difference between Labour Market Availability (LMA), Workforce Availability (WFA) and Workforce Availability Estimates (WAE)?
Labour market availability (LMA) is the share of designated group members in the Canadian labour market from which the employers could hire.
To determine Workforce Availability (WFA) by specific occupational group, additional criteria are applied to the LMA population, for example, education levels, geographical area of recruitment and occupation. WFA is a subset of LMA.
Workforce Availability Estimates (WAE) include only people in those occupations in the Canadian workforce that correspond to occupations in the core public administration. For more information:
4. If the data is only updated every five years, why does Treasury Board SECRETARIAT send departments WFA data every year?
Every year, Treasury Board Secretariat uses the overall WFA base for its data, and it brings this data up to date annually by considering trends in workforce growth or turnover or anticipated future needs or other factors that will help departments in decision-making.
Note: The overall WFA is a workforce availability estimate for the workforce as a whole. Workforce availability is also calculated for each designated group by specific occupational group to provide a more accurate picture.
5. Why is the Workforce Availability data so outdated?
Once the census is complete, Statistics Canada analyses and rolls up the results for many different reports, which is then released to the public and others in phases, over time (it's a lot of data!). Given the volume and various types of data administered by Statistics Canada, it can take over two years for the Workforce Availability employment equity data to become available.
This means that that at the end of 2022, the WFA data being used for women, Indigenous Peoples, and Black and racialized people (visible minorities) comes from the 2016 Census, and the data for persons with disabilities comes from the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability; this is data from 5 to 6 years ago.
Everyone uses this data; everyone is in the same boat.
6. Are there risks to using outdated WFA data?
YES!
If an organization relies only on WFA data to establish goals that are in line with the (2016/17) availability rates, the risk is that when the new WFA is released from the most recent census (2021) if there are big increases in availability, organizations may find themselves well below the expected goals.
Why might WFA numbers go up? There is no guarantee what the new numbers will show, but if one considers persons with disabilities, for example, with the aging Canadian population, it is likely that a higher percentage of Canadians will report having a disability in 2021, than they did in 2016. Over those years, Canadians have also become better informed about what is considered a 'disability', which might increase the numbers as well.
This means that when new census data comes out, an organization can find itself going from being well represented to having a significant under-representation, overnight.
To mitigate these risks, LEI Consulting advises clients to aim for numerical goals that are higher than WFA, and to put in place plans to address any future under-representation, that can be activated quickly and successfully. Anticipating retention rates also helps with effective planning - if an organization foresees a lot of retirements of employees who have self-identified as having a disability, that needs to be factored into planning and setting numerical goals.
7. What does it mean when WFA data is "adjusted"?
In the dataset that Treasury Board sends to departments with WFA, departments have the information they need to produce more detailed data. For example, if the workforce analysis of a department includes both Administrative Services (AS) and Information Services (IS) in one category (Administrative and FS category), and this department has many IS positions, and not very many AS positions, then the department can adjust their WFA data to reflect this specific situation.
8. Should you use the adjusted or un-adjusted data for your ESR analysis?
If the adjusted data is available, then use that, as it more closely reflects your organization’s needs.
It is recommended that departments and agencies have a full-time resource dedicated to providing human resources, management and leadership with up-to-date, adjusted data, to support effective employment equity analysis, planning, and reporting.
9. Why is the terminology so outdated?
Sometimes employment equity data reports use terms such as: visible minorities, persons with disabilities, and Aboriginal Peoples (when the more current vocabulary would be: Black and racialized people, people with disabilities, and Indigenous Peoples).
Visible minorities, persons with disabilities, and Aboriginal Peoples can be used because these are the terms used in the Employment Equity Act.
Most organizations use the more updated terms in ESR reports, with a note to indicate that the terms equate to those found in Act (e.g., “The term ‘Indigenous Peoples’ is used in this report and refers to ‘Aboriginal Peoples’ as used in the Employment Equity Act”.)
10. What are common misperceptions about WFA?
Data analysts, human resources, and employment equity personnel usually have a good understanding about WFA. However, when asking employees about employment equity goals, very often they mistakenly assume that the goals are simply based on the representation in the population as a whole.
They do not know that WFA is based on people who are qualified and available for work, and takes regional considerations (geographic areas of recruitment) into account.
When developing communication plans, organizations could be proactive in letting all employees know that the numerical goals are based on a sophisticated data set that takes factors such as qualifications into account.
11. If our organization meets (or exceeds) WFA, does that mean our work is done?
No!
WFA is a prompt, to engage organizations in the work required to have a fully inclusive workforce.
If WFA is met, the next question is “What about distribution?” Is every level of position and region and Branch, fully representative, and if not, then what needs to be done to address the gaps?
If the representation is good, then what about the future? Are there talent management plans in place for equity-seeking groups?
What about the culture? Are equity-seeking groups treated with respect? Is there diversity within equity-seeking groups (e.g., are racialized employees from a range of cultures); does the organization recruit people with different types of disabilities (e.g., mobility, mental health), etc..
Are employment equity practices embedded in all aspects of your workplace, including in how you approach program and service delivery?
Even when representation is achieved, the work continues.
12. What does the future hold for WFA?
The best information would be available from central agencies.
With the current review of the EEA legislation, inclusion of new groups such as 2SLGBTQI communities in diversity plans, the advances in technology, and potentially new ways of carrying out the census, there is hope for better, more inclusive and more up-to-date WFA data in the future.
Where to find out more?
The EE specialist in your human resources team or your contact/analyst at Treasury Board Secretariat is the best source for accurate and current information about WFA as used in the public service.
To learn more about the employment equity situation and initiatives in the federal public service, please consult the following:
Employment Equity in the Public Service of Canada for Fiscal Year 2020 to 2021;