At Teck, we believe inclusion and diversity make us a stronger company, and our work to build an inclusive and diverse workplace for everyone has been underway for a number of years.
Below is an update on that work, which has been guided by our Inclusion and Diversity Policy and our Inclusion and Diversity objectives.
New Senior Executive Committee Members
The Senior Executive Inclusion and Diversity Committee recently welcomed three new senior leaders: Shehzad Bharmal, Vice President, Base Metals; Amparo Cornejo, Vice President, Chile Sustainability and External Affairs; and Amanda Robinson, Corporate Secretary and Legal Counsel. These new committee members join Peter Rozee, Senior Vice President, Commercial and Legal Affairs; Robin Sheremeta, Senior Vice President, Coal; Marcia Smith, Senior Vice President, Sustainability and External Affairs; and Dean Winsor, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer and Chair of the committee, and, through added diversity of thought and experience at the senior leadership level, help the committee better reflect our organization.
Inclusion and Diversity Committees across Teck
Our site- and field-based Inclusion and Diversity Committees continue to make progress against plans set out by individual business units, and a new Community of Practice has established a forum for committees to share knowledge, lessons learned and best practices. Building on this success, across Teck, new Inclusion and Diversity Committees are being brought together, employee resource groups are being formed with an initial focus on women and Indigenous Peoples, and support is available for employee-led Inclusion and Diversity initiatives.
Inclusion and Engagement Survey
At Teck, Respect is a core value, and we are committed to building a workplace where everyone feels included and valued. To ensure we continue to improve in the areas of inclusion and diversity and engagement, and to better understand our culture, a company-wide Inclusion and Engagement Survey was conducted between July and September and provided all employees and contractors with an opportunity to be heard. With 59% of all employees and contractors responding, the survey has helped establish a baseline for inclusion and engagement at Teck, as well as inform work underway as part of the Inclusion and Diversity Strategic Plan.
Unconscious Bias Training
Work is underway to equip the leaders of today and tomorrow with the resources and knowledge to advance our Inclusion and Diversity objectives. Most recently, unconscious bias training was embedded into our leadership development programs, including Leading for Excellence.
Our Pride. Our Teck.
In June, we launched ‘Our Pride. Our Teck’, Teck’s 2020 Pride campaign to recognize and celebrate LGBTQ2+ employees and allies, and the pride networks in the communities where we operate. This campaign marked a significant milestone for Teck and provides an important foundation for future Pride campaigns.
Pride at Work
This year, Teck partnered with Pride at Work in Chile and collaborated with local LGBTQ2+ organizations to participate in events that celebrate LGBTQ2+ communities and Teck employees. Teck is the first mining company in Chile to join Pride at Work, and through important partnerships with organizations like this one, many Teck Chile employees now have access to educational sessions and training programs that support LGBTQ2+ diversity and inclusion in the workplace and help address discrimination in the Latin America context. During Pride month (June), Teck Chile also co-sponsored a variety of well-attended webinars, which celebrated individual stories from the LGBTQ2+ community from a variety of major employers in Chile.
A Workplace for Everyone
To help create a workplace where everyone feels safe and welcome, Teck’s RACE21TM office in Vancouver is piloting a dedicated prayer room to provide a non-denominational space where any person of faith can take time to reflect. The RACE21TM office now also has a nursing room to provide employees and visitors with a comfortable space to nurse or pump and refrigerate milk to take home to their infant. Similar spaces are also being created in Chile, where all facilities now have dedicated nursing rooms and new office space is being designed with universal independent access for people with disabilities.
What’s Next?
Programs and initiatives that help build a workplace for everyone will continue in 2021, with particular focus on defining flexible work at Teck, continued inclusion and diversity awareness, education and training; and developing action plans based on results from the Inclusion and Engagement Survey.
“I’m proud of the actions we are taking to enhance Teck’s workplace culture and foster greater inclusion and diversity across the company. This year has highlighted the significance of inclusive practices such as flexible work and working collaboratively across cultures in our response to COVID-19,” says Jackie Scales, Director, Inclusion and Diversity, Teck. “I was especially proud to see the launch of our Inclusion and Engagement Survey and sincerely thank everyone who participated—your feedback will inform the next chapter of Inclusion and Diversity at Teck.”
