Federal Audit to Scrutinize Employment of Persons with Disabilities in Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

A forthcoming audit by the federal Auditor-General of Canada will examine the recruitment, retention, and promotion of persons with disabilities within the federal public service. This initiative directly addresses Canada’s commitments to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Audit Scope and Timeline

• Subject: A comprehensive study on the recruitment, retention, and promotion of employees with disabilities in the federal public service.
• Initiator: Auditor-General Karen Hogan, whose office notified the Treasury Board of the planned audit on March 7.
• Projected Timeline: The audit is currently in the planning phase, with a final report expected to be tabled in Parliament in 2026.

Analysis of Current Employment Data and SDG Progress

Recent employment equity reports provide a baseline for the audit, indicating both progress and persistent gaps in achieving inclusive employment targets.

Representation and Progress Towards SDG 8

• The employment of persons with disabilities has seen a consistent increase, rising from 12,893 in 2021 to 21,089 as of March 2024.
• Despite this growth, the overall representation of persons with disabilities remains below the government’s “workforce availability” metric, a key performance indicator for SDG 8.5, which calls for full and productive employment for all, including persons with disabilities.
• Conversely, representation at the executive level has surpassed workforce availability, with 9.7% of federal executives identifying as persons with disabilities in March 2024, a significant increase from 4.6% in 2019.

Promotion Equity and Alignment with SDG 10

The audit will also consider promotion rates as a measure of equitable career advancement, a core component of SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). In 2024, promotion data for the core public service included:

1. Persons with disabilities: 2,517 promotions
2. Indigenous employees: 1,642 promotions
3. Black employees: 1,788 promotions
4. Members of visible minorities: 8,115 promotions
5. Women: 19,578 promotions

Stakeholder Perspectives and Challenges to Inclusive Work Environments

The audit is anticipated to address concerns from public service stakeholders regarding workplace policies and their impact on employees with disabilities.

Union Concerns on Return-to-Office Mandates

• The Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) has expressed concern that the mandatory return-to-office policy may disproportionately disadvantage workers with disabilities.
• The union suggests that a lack of flexibility and accommodation challenges the principles of “decent work” outlined in SDG 8.
• CAPE has urged the Auditor-General to analyze employment data from before and after the policy’s implementation to assess its impact on retention.

Government Commitment and Institutional Accountability (SDG 16)

• The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat stated that the Government of Canada is committed to building an accessible and inclusive public service, noting it exceeded its 2024 goal of hiring 5,000 persons with disabilities.
• The Secretariat welcomed the audit, viewing it as an opportunity to work with the Auditor-General’s office. This collaborative approach supports SDG 16, which emphasizes the need for effective, accountable, and transparent institutions.

Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article focuses on the employment of people with disabilities in the Canadian federal public service, including their recruitment, retention, promotion, and working conditions (such as the return-to-office mandate). This directly relates to ensuring decent work and productive employment for all segments of the population.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The core subject is the inclusion and representation of a specific group—persons with disabilities—within the workforce. The article discusses efforts to increase their numbers, track their promotions, and ensure their representation, which are all central to the goal of reducing inequalities and promoting social and economic inclusion.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The article examines the composition of a key public institution, the federal public service. By auditing and reporting on the representation of people with disabilities, especially at the executive level, the article touches upon the need for inclusive and representative institutions at all levels.

What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including persons with disabilities.

  The entire article is framed around this target. It discusses the federal government’s efforts to hire people with disabilities (“exceeded its goal of hiring 5,000 people with disabilities”), track their employment numbers, and examine their promotion rates (“2,517 federal public servants with disabilities were promoted in 2024”). The planned audit by the Auditor-General will study the “recruitment, retention and promotion of people with disabilities,” which are all components of achieving full and productive employment.

• Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of disability.

  The article highlights the government’s commitment to building an “accessible and inclusive public service.” The tracking of employment and promotion data for people with disabilities, and comparing it to other groups (Indigenous peoples, Black employees, visible minorities, women), is a direct measure of progress towards economic inclusion for this specific group.

• Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.

  The article specifically mentions the representation of people with disabilities at the leadership level. It states that “representation of people with disabilities among government executives was above the rate of workforce availability” and that “9.7 per cent of federal executives were people with disabilities, up from 4.6 per cent in March 2019.” This directly addresses the need for a representative public service, which is a key component of an inclusive institution.

Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Number of people with disabilities employed

  The article provides explicit data: “21,089 people with disabilities were working in the federal public service, up from 17,410 in 2023, 14,573 in 2022 and 12,893 in 2021.” This serves as a direct quantitative indicator of employment levels.

• Employment rate compared to workforce availability

  The article mentions that the number of employed people with disabilities “remains below the rate of ‘workforce availability’ – the metric used by the government to measure the share of the national workforce that is eligible for federal public service work.” This comparison is a key performance indicator.

• Number of promotions

  The article states that “2,517 federal public servants with disabilities were promoted in 2024.” This is a specific indicator of career advancement and decent work.

• Representation in executive positions

  A clear indicator is provided: “As of March 2024, 9.7 per cent of federal executives were people with disabilities, up from 4.6 per cent in March 2019.” This measures inclusion in decision-making roles.

• Retention/Attrition rates (Implied)

  The concern raised by the union president about the return-to-office mandate implies the need to track retention. He expresses hope the audit will show “how many workers with disabilities are leaving the federal public sector,” suggesting that attrition is a key, albeit unstated, indicator.

• Provision of workplace accommodations (Implied)

  The union’s statement that people with disabilities “have not been getting accommodations or have been made to jump through hoops” implies that the rate and efficiency of providing accommodations (like telework) is a critical indicator of an inclusive work environment.

Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: theglobeandmail.com